Jonah Goes to Nineveh
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Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:
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"Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you."
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Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh.
Now Nineveh was a very important cty - a visit required three days.
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On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed:
"Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned."
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The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them,
from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
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When the news reached the king of Nineveh,
he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes,
covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.
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Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh:
"By the decree of the king and his nobles:
do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything;
do not let them eat or drink.
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But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth.
Let everyone call urgently on God.
Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.
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Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from
his fierce anger so that we will not perish."
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When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways,
he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.
