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Minor Prophets · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Jonah 3

A reluctant prophet discovers God's compassion for enemies and creation.

Old Testament

Jonah 3

1The LORD’s word came to Jonah the second time, saying,

2“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I give you.”

3So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to the LORD’s word. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey across.

4Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried out, and said, “In forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown!”

5The people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from their greatest even to their least.

6The news reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

7He made a proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, “Let neither man nor animal, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, nor drink water;

8but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and animal, and let them cry mightily to God. Yes, let them turn everyone from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.

9Who knows whether God will not turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?”

10God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God relented of the disaster which he said he would do to them, and he didn’t do it.

READ IN CONTEXT

Before applying this chapter

A reluctant prophet discovers God's compassion for enemies and creation. Read Jonah 3 within the complete Jonah overview, and use the contextual Bible reading guide before forming a personal application. Chapter divisions aid navigation, but the literary unit may begin earlier or continue into the next chapter.

Observe first

Mark repeated words, changes of speaker, commands, promises, contrasts, questions, and the relationship between paragraphs.

Apply responsibly

Distinguish description from command and immediate audience from later readers before forming a personal application.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Jonah 3

Jonah 3 contains 10 verses and about 239 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “The LORD’s word came to Jonah the second time, saying,” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 10 closes: “God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God relented of the disaster which he said he would do to them, and he didn’t do it.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include nineveh, jonah, city, sackcloth, turn, lord’s. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Jonah 3

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Jonah 3:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

You do not have to have everything figured out.

Begin with one honest question, one passage read carefully, and one faithful next step.

Start with prayer