\NormalFont\ShortTitle{JONAH}
{\MTB This book is the account of Jonah disobeying God, being in a big fish’s belly three days, and finally going to warn Nineveh about God judging them. We call this book
\par }{\MT JONAH

\par }\ChapOne{1}{\SH Jonah refused to warn the people of Nineveh as Yahweh told him to do
\par }{\PP \VerseOne{1}{\ADD{
One
day}}
Yahweh
said
to
{\ADD{
the
prophet}}
Jonah,
the
son
of
Amittai,
\VS{2}“I
have
{\ADD{
seen}}
how
wicked
{\ADD{
the
people
of}} [MTY]
the
great
city
of
Nineveh
are.
Therefore
go
there
and
warn
the
people
that
{\ADD{
I
am
planning
to}}
destroy
their
city
{\ADD{
because
of
their
sins}}.”
\VS{3}But
{\ADD{
instead
of
going
to
Nineveh}},
Jonah
{\ADD{
went
in
the
direction}}
opposite
to
where
Yahweh
{\ADD{
told
him
to
go}}.
He
went
down
to
Joppa
{\ADD{
city}}.
There
he
bought
a ticket
to
travel
on
a
ship
that
was
going
to
Tarshish
{\ADD{
city}},
in
order
to
avoid
{\ADD{
doing
what}}
Yahweh
{\ADD{
told
him
to
do}}.
{\ADD{
He
got
on
the
ship,}}
and
{\ADD{
then
went
down}}
to
a
lower
deck,
{\ADD{
lay
down,
and
went
to
sleep}}.
\par }{\PP \VS{4}Then
Yahweh
caused
a
very
strong
wind
to
blow,
and
there
was
such
a
violent
storm
that
{\ADD{
the
sailors
thought}}
the
ship
would
break
apart.
\VS{5}The
sailors
were
very
frightened.
Because
of
that,
they
each
{\ADD{
started
to}}
pray
to
their
own
gods
{\ADD{
to
save
them}}.
Then
they
threw
the
cargo
into
the
sea
to
make
the
ship
lighter
{\ADD{
in
order
that
it
would
not
sink
easily}}.
\par }{\PP \VS{6}Then
the
captain
went
{\ADD{
down}}
to
where
Jonah
was
sleeping soundly.
{\ADD{
He
awoke
him}}
and
said
{\ADD{
to
him}}, “◄How
can
you
sleep
{\ADD{
during
a
storm
like
this}}?/You
should
not
be
sleeping
{\ADD{
during
a
storm
like
this}}► [RHQ]!
Get
up
and
pray
to
your
god!
Perhaps
he
will
pity
us
and
save
us,
in
order
that
we
will
not
drown!”
{\ADD{
But
Jonah
refused
to
do
that}}.
\par }{\PP \VS{7}Then
the
sailors
said
to
each
other, “We
need
to ◄cast
lots/shake
from
a
container
small
objects
that
we
have
all
marked►,
to
determine
who
has
caused
{\ADD{
all
}}
this
trouble!”
So
they
did
that,
and
{\ADD{
the
object
with}}
Jonah’s
mark
fell
out
{\ADD{
of
the
container}}.
\VS{8}So
{\ADD{
various
ones
of}}
them
asked
him, “Are
you
the
one
who
has
caused
us
all
this
trouble?” “What
work
do
you
do?” “Where
are
you
{\ADD{
coming}}
from?” “What
country
and
what people-group
do
you
belong
to?”
\par }{\PP \VS{9}Jonah
replied, “I
am
a
Hebrew.
I
worship
Yahweh
God,
who
{\ADD{
lives
in}}
heaven.
He
is
the
one
who
made
the
sea
and
the
land.
I
am
trying
to
escape
from
{\ADD{
doing
what}}
Yahweh
{\ADD{
told
me
to
do}}.”
\par }{\PP \VS{10}After
the
sailors
heard
that,
they
were
terrified.
So
they
asked
him, “Do
you
realize
what
{\ADD{
trouble}}
you
have
caused?”
\par }{\PP \VS{11}The
{\ADD{
storm
kept
getting
worse
and}}
the
waves
kept
getting
bigger.
So
{\ADD{
one
of}}
the
sailors
asked
Jonah, “What
should
we
do
in
order
to
make
the
sea
become
calm?”
\VS{12}He
replied, “Pick
me
up
and
throw
me
into
the
sea.
{\ADD{
If
you
do
that}},
it
will
become
calm.
I
know
that
this
terrible
storm
is
the
result
of
my
{\ADD{
not
doing
what
Yahweh
told
me
to
do}}.”
\par }{\PP \VS{13}But
the
sailors
did
{\ADD{
not
want
to
do
that}}.
{\ADD{
Instead}},
they
tried
hard
to
row
the
ship
back
to
the
land.
But
they
could
not
{\ADD{
do
that}},
because
the
storm
continued
to
get
worse.
\VS{14}Therefore
they
prayed
to
Yahweh,
and
{\ADD{
one
of
them}}
prayed, “O
Yahweh,
please
do
not
let
us
drown
because
of
our
causing
this
man
to
die.
O
Yahweh,
you
have
done
what
you
wanted
to
do.
{\ADD{
We
do
not
know
if
this
man
has
sinned.
If}}
he
has
not
sinned,
do
not
consider
that
we
are
guilty
of
sinning
when
we
cause
him
to
die!”
\VS{15}Then
they
picked
Jonah
up
and
threw
him
into
the
sea.
Then
the
sea
became
calm.
\VS{16}{\ADD{
When
that
happened}},
the
sailors
became
greatly awed
at
Yahweh’s
{\ADD{
power}}.
So
they
offered
a
sacrifice
to
Yahweh,
and
they
strongly
promised
{\ADD{
him
that
they
would
do
things
that
would
please
him}}.
\par }{\PP \VS{17}{\ADD{
While
they
were
doing
that,}}
Yahweh
sent
a
huge
fish
that
swallowed
Jonah.
Then
Jonah
was
inside
the
fish
for
three
days
and
three
nights.

\par }\Chap{2}{\SH Jonah prayed again after God said that he would save Jonah
\par }{\PP \VerseOne{1}{\ADD{
While
he
was}}
inside
the
huge
fish,
Jonah
prayed
to
Yahweh
God,
{\ADD{
whom}}
he
{\ADD{
worshiped.
After
Yahweh
told
him
that
he
would
answer
his
prayer,}}
\VS{2}Jonah
said,
\par }{\PI “Yahweh,
when
I
was
greatly
distressed
{\ADD{
here}},
I
prayed
to
you,
and
you
heard
what
I
{\ADD{
prayed}}.
When
I
was
{\ADD{
about
to
descend
way
down
into}}
the
place
where
dead
people
go,
you
heard
me
when
I
called
out
{\ADD{
for
you
to
help/save
me}}.
\par }{\PI \VS{3}You
threw
me
{\ADD{
down}}
into
the
deep
{\ADD{
water}},
into
the
bottom [DOU]
of
the
sea.
The currents
of
the
sea swirled
around
me,
and
the
huge
waves crashed
above
me.
\par }{\PI \VS{4}Then
I
thought, ‘You
have
banished
me,
and
I
will
never
be
able
to
enter
your
presence
again.
I
will
never
see
your
holy
temple
{\ADD{
in
Jerusalem}}
again!’
\par }{\PI \VS{5}The
water
surrounded
me,
and
threatened
to
drown
me.
Seaweed
was
wrapped
around
my
head.
\par }{\PI \VS{6}I
sank
down
to
where
the
mountains
start
rising [MET]
{\ADD{
from
the
bottom
of
the
sea}}.
I
thought
that
forever
{\ADD{
it
would
be
as
though}}
my
body
would
be
in
a
prison [MTY]
{\ADD{
inside
the
earth}}
below
me.
\par }{\PI But
you,
Yahweh
God,
whom
I
{\ADD{
worship}},
rescued
me
from
going
down
to
the
place
of
the
dead.
\par }{\PI \VS{7}When
I
was
almost
dead [EUP],
Yahweh,
I ◄thought
about/prayed
to►
you.
You
{\ADD{
heard}}
my
prayer,
up
{\ADD{
there
where}}
you
{\ADD{
are,
in}}
your
holy
temple.
\par }{\PI \VS{8}All
those
who
worship
worthless
idols
are rejecting
{\ADD{
you}},
the
one
who
{\ADD{
could}}
act
kindly
toward
them.
\par }{\PI \VS{9}But
I
will
sing
to
thank
{\ADD{
you}},
and
I
will
offer
a
sacrifice
to
you.
I
will
{\ADD{
surely}}
do
what
I
have
solemnly
promised
{\ADD{
to
do}}.
Yahweh,
you
are
the
one
who
is
{\ADD{
able
to}}
save
{\ADD{
us}}.”
\par }{\PP \VS{10}Then
Yahweh
commanded
the
huge
fish
to
vomit
out
Jonah,
{\ADD{
and
the
fish
did
that}},
and
{\ADD{
Jonah
was
able
to
get}}
to
the
land.

\par }\Chap{3}{\SH The people of Nineveh repented after Jonah warned them
\par }{\PP \VerseOne{1}Then
Yahweh
said
to
Jonah
again,
\VS{2}“Go
to
that
great
city
of
Nineveh,
and
tell
them
the
message
that
I
gave
you
{\ADD{
previously}}.”
\par }{\PP \VS{3}So
{\ADD{
this
time}}
Jonah
obeyed
Yahweh,
and
he
went
to
Nineveh.
That
city
was
so
big
that
a
person
{\ADD{
had
to
walk}}
for
three
days
to
completely
{\ADD{
go
through}}
it.
\VS{4}On
the
first
day
{\ADD{
after}}
Jonah
{\ADD{
arrived}},
he
{\ADD{
began
walking}}
through
the
city.
He
was
proclaiming (OR,
At
the
end
of
that
day
he
started
proclaiming)
to
the
people, “Forty
days
from
now,
Nineveh
will
be
destroyed $\{${\ADD{
God}}
will
destroy
Nineveh$\}$!”
\par }{\PP \VS{5}The
people
of
Nineveh
believed
God’s
{\ADD{
message}}.
They
{\ADD{
all}}
decided
that
everyone
should
begin ◄fasting/abstaining
from
food►.
So
{\ADD{
everyone}},
including
important
people
and unimportant
people,
{\ADD{
did
that}}.
They
{\ADD{
also}}
put
on coarse
cloth,
{\ADD{
to
show
that
they
were
sorry
for
having
sinned}}.
\par }{\PP \VS{6}The
King
of
Nineveh
heard
{\ADD{
what
the
people
were
doing}}.
{\ADD{
So}}
he
took
off
his
royal
robes,
and
{\ADD{
he
also}}
put
on coarse
cloth.
He
left
his
palace,
and
sat
down
where
there
were
{\ADD{
cold}}
ashes,
{\ADD{
to
show
that
he
also
was
sorry
for
having
sinned}}.
\VS{7}Then
he
sent
messengers
to
proclaim
to
{\ADD{
the
people
in}}
Nineveh: “My advisors
and
I
have
decreed
that
no
one
may
eat
or
drink
anything.
Do
not
even
allow
your
animals
to
eat
or
drink.
\VS{8}Instead,
every
person
must
put
on coarse
cloth.
{\ADD{
Put coarse
cloth
on}}
your
animals,
{\ADD{
too}}.
Then
everyone
must
pray fervently
to
God.
And
everyone
must
stop
doing
evil
actions/things,
and
stop
acting
violently
{\ADD{
toward
others}}.
\VS{9}Perhaps,
{\ADD{
if
everyone
does
that}},
God
may
change
his
mind
and
be
merciful
{\ADD{
to
us}},
and
stop
being
very
angry
with
us,
with
the
result
that
we
will
not
die.”
\par }{\PP \VS{10}When
they
{\ADD{
all
did
that}},
God
saw
what
they
were
doing,
and
he
saw
that
they
had
stopped
doing
evil
things.
So
{\ADD{
he
pitied
them,
and}}
he
did
not
get
rid
of
them
as
he
had
threatened
to
do.

\par }\Chap{4}{\SH God said it was more right for him to spare the Ninevites than to spare the vine he sent to spare Jonah
\par }{\PP \VerseOne{1}But
Jonah
was
very
distressed
{\ADD{
that
God
had
not
destroyed
Nineveh}}.
He
became
very
angry.
{\ADD{
The
people
of
Nineveh
were non-Jews,
and
Jonah
did
not
think
that
God
should
act mercifully
toward
anyone
who
was
not
a
Jew}}.
\VS{2}He
prayed
to
Yahweh, “O
Yahweh,
what
you
have
done
is
what
I
thought
that
you
would
do,
before
I
left
home [RHQ].
That
is
why
I
{\ADD{
decided}}
immediately
to
run
away,
and
go
to
Tarshish
{\ADD{
city}},
because
I
knew
that
you,
O
God,
act
very
kindly
and compassionately
{\ADD{
toward
all
people}}.
You
do
not
quickly
become
angry
with
people
who
do
evil
things.
You
love
people
very
much,
and
you
change
your
mind
about
punishing
{\ADD{
people
who
sin}}.
\VS{3}{\ADD{
So}}
now,
O
Yahweh,
{\ADD{
since
you
will
not
destroy
Nineveh
city
as
you
said
you
would}},
allow
me
to
die,
because
it
would
be
better
for
me
to
die
than
to
{\ADD{
continue
to}}
live.”
\par }{\PP \VS{4}Yahweh
replied, “◄Why
is
it
right
for
you
to
be
angry
{\ADD{
about
my
not
destroying
the
city}}?/It
is
not
right
for
you
to
be
angry
{\ADD{
about
my
not
destroying
the
city}}!► [RHQ]”
\par }{\PP \VS{5}Jonah
{\ADD{
did
not
reply}}.
He
went
out
of
the
city
to
the
east
{\ADD{
side
of
it}}.
He
made
a
small
shelter
in
order
that
he
could
sit
under
it
and
be
protected
from
the
sun.
He
sat
under
the
shelter
and
waited
to
see
what
would
happen
to
the
city.
\VS{6}Then
Yahweh
God
caused
a
vine
to
grow
up
{\ADD{
immediately}}
to
shade
Jonah’s
head
from
the
sun
and
make
him
{\ADD{
feel}}
more
comfortable.
Jonah
was
very
happy
about
{\ADD{
having}}
the
vine
{\ADD{
over
his
head}}.
\VS{7}But
before
dawn
the
next
day,
God
sent
a
worm
that
chewed
the
vine,
with
the
result
that
the
vine
withered.
\VS{8}Then,
when
the
sun
rose
{\ADD{
high
in
the
sky}},
God
sent
a
very
hot
wind
from
the
east,
and
the
sun
shone
very
strongly
on
Jonah’s
head,
with
the
result
that
he
felt
faint.
He
wanted
to
die,
and
he
said, “It
would
be
better
for
me
to
die
than
to
{\ADD{
continue
to}}
live!”
\par }{\PP \VS{9}But
God
asked
Jonah, “Is
it
right
for
you
to
be
angry
about
{\ADD{
what
happened
to}}
the
vine?”
Jonah
replied, “{\ADD{
Yes}},
it
is
right!
{\ADD{
Now}}
I
am
very
angry
and
I
want
to
die!”
\par }{\PP \VS{10}But
Yahweh
said
{\ADD{
to
him}}, “You
have
been
concerned
about
my
{\ADD{
causing}}
that
vine
{\ADD{
to
wither}},
even
though
you
did
not
take
care
of
it,
and
you
did
not
make
it
grow.
It
just
grew
up
during
one
night,
and
it
completely
withered
{\ADD{
at
the
end
of}}
the
next
night.
\VS{11}But
there
are
more
than 120,000
people
in
Nineveh
who
{\ADD{
are
very
young,
and
because
of
that}},
they
cannot
tell
which
is
their
right
hand
and
which
is
their
left
hand,
and
there
are
also
many
cattle,
{\ADD{
and
none
of
these
have
done
anything
to
displease
me}}.
So ◄is
it
not
right
for
me
to
be
concerned
about
the
people
of
that
huge
city,
{\ADD{
and
not
want
to
destroy
them}}?/it
is
certainly
right
for
me
to
be
concerned
about
the
people
of
that
huge
city
{\ADD{
and
not
want
to
destroy
them}}!► [RHQ]”
\par }