GodsWord - Jonah - 3

3:1  Then the LORD spoke his word to Jonah a second time. He said,

3:2  "Leave at once for the important city, Nineveh. Announce to the people the message I have given you."

3:3  Jonah immediately went to Nineveh as the LORD told him. Nineveh was a very large city. It took three days to walk through it.

3:4  Jonah entered the city and walked for about a day. Then he said, "In forty days Nineveh will be destroyed."

3:5  The people of Nineveh believed God. They decided to fast, and everyone, from the most important to the least important, dressed in sackcloth.

3:6  When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

3:7  Then he made this announcement and sent it throughout the city: "This is an order from the king and his nobles: No one is to eat or drink anything. This includes all people, animals, cattle, and sheep.

3:8  Every person and animal must put on sackcloth. Cry loudly to God for help. Turn from your wicked ways and your acts of violence.

3:9  Who knows? God may reconsider his plans and turn from his burning anger so that we won't die."

3:10  God saw what they did. He saw that they turned from their wicked ways. So God reconsidered his threat to destroy them, and he didn't do it.