God

"Set out for the great city of Ninveh, and proclaim to it that their wickedness has come to my attention."

But Yonah, in order to get away from ADONAI, prepared to escape to Tarshish. He went down to Yafo, found a ship headed for Tarshish, paid the fare and went aboard, intending to travel with them to Tarshish and get away from ADONAI.

However, ADONAI let loose over the sea a violent wind, which created such stormy conditions that the ship threatened to break to pieces.

The ship's captain found him and said to him, "What do you mean by sleeping? Get up! Call on your god! Maybe the god will remember us, and we won't die."

He answered them, "I am a Hebrew; and I fear ADONAI, the God of heaven, who made both the sea and the dry land."

At this the men grew very afraid and said to him, "What is this that you have done?" For the men knew he was trying to get away from ADONAI, since he had told them.

Finally they cried to ADONAI, "Please, ADONAI, please! Don't let us perish for causing the death of this man, and don't hold us to account for shedding innocent blood; because you, ADONAI, have done what you saw fit."

Seized with great fear of ADONAI, they offered a sacrifice to ADONAI and made vows.

ADONAI prepared a huge fish to swallow Yonah; and Yonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.

From the belly of the fish Yonah prayed to ADONAI his God;

he said, "Out of my distress I called to ADONAI, and he answered me; from the belly of Sh'ol I cried, and you heard my voice.

For you threw me into the deep, into the heart of the seas; and the flood enveloped me; all your surging waves passed over me.

I thought, 'I have been banished from your sight.' But I will again look at your holy temple.

I was going down to the bottoms of the mountains, to a land whose bars would close me in forever; but you brought me up alive from the pit, ADONAI, my God!

As my life was ebbing away, I remembered ADONAI; and my prayer came in to you, into your holy temple.

but I, speaking my thanks aloud, will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed, I will pay. Salvation comes from ADONAI!"

Then ADONAI spoke to the fish, and it vomited Yonah out onto dry land.

The word of ADONAI came to Yonah a second time:

"Set out for the great city of Ninveh, and proclaim to it the message I will give you."

So Yonah set out and went to Ninveh, as ADONAI had said. Now Ninveh was such a large city that it took three days just to cross it.

when the people of Ninveh believed God. They proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least.

They must be covered with sackcloth, both people and animals; and they are to cry out to God with all their might - let each of them turn from his evil way and from the violence they practice.

Who knows? Maybe God will change his mind, relent and turn from his fierce anger; and then we won't perish."

When God saw by their deeds that they had turned from their evil way, he relented and did not bring on them the punishment he had threatened.

He prayed to ADONAI, "Now, ADONAI, didn't I say this would happen, when I was still in my own country? That's why I tried to get away to Tarshish ahead of time! I knew you were a God who is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in grace, and that you relent from inflicting punishment.