The Story of Jonah

The story of Jonah begins when the word of the Lord comes to a prophet, commanding him to go to the great city of Nineveh and cry out against it because of its evil. Instead of obeying, Jonah travels to Joppa and boards a ship bound for Tarshish to flee from the presence of the Lord (Jonah 1:1–3). During the voyage, a mighty tempest threatens the ship, leading the sailors to cast lots to determine who is responsible for the danger. When the lot falls on him, Jonah admits he is a Hebrew fleeing his God and instructs the sailors to throw him into the sea to calm the storm (Jonah 1:7–12).

After the sailors cast him overboard, the sea ceases its raging, and the Lord appoints a great fish to swallow Jonah. He remains in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, during which time he prays to the Lord from the depths (Jonah 1:15–2:1). The Lord then speaks to the fish, and it vomits Jonah out onto dry land. The command to go to Nineveh is issued a second time, and this time Jonah obeys, traveling to the city to proclaim that it will be overthrown in forty days (Jonah 3:1–4).

The people of Nineveh respond to the warning by believing God, calling for a fast, and putting on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. When the king of Nineveh hears the news, he rises from his throne, covers himself with sackcloth, and issues a decree that every person and animal must fast and cry mightily to God in hopes that he will turn from his fierce anger (Jonah 3:5–9). Seeing their repentance and how they turn from their evil ways, God relents and does not bring the promised destruction upon the city (Jonah 3:10).

This outcome displeases Jonah exceedingly, and he becomes angry, complaining to the Lord that he knew God was gracious, merciful, and slow to anger. Jonah sits outside the city to see what will happen, and the Lord uses a plant, a worm, and a vehement east wind to teach him a lesson about compassion. The narrative concludes with the Lord questioning Jonah's lack of pity for the more than one hundred and twenty thousand people in Nineveh who do not know their right hand from their left (Jonah 4:1–11).