Jonah 3

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 The word of Yahweh was addressed to Jonah a second time.	1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:
2 'Up!' he said, 'Go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach to it as I shal tel you.'	2 "Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you."
3 Jonah set out and went to Nineveh in obedience to the word of Yahweh. Now Nineveh was a city greatbeyond compare; to cross it took three days.	3 So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh, according to the LORD'S bidding. Now Nineveh was an enormously large city; it took three days to go through it.
4 Jonah began by going a day's journey into the city and then proclaimed, 'Only forty days more andNineveh will be overthrown.'	4 Jonah began his journey through the city, and had gone but a single day's walk announcing, "Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,"
5 And the people of Nineveh believed in God; they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from thegreatest to the least.	5 when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.
6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackclothand sat down in ashes.	6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes.
7 He then had it proclaimed throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his nobles, as fol ows: 'Noperson or animal, herd or flock, may eat anything; they may not graze, they may not drink any water.	7 Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his nobles: "Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep, shall taste anything; they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water.
8 All must put on sackcloth and cal on God with al their might; and let everyone renounce his evil waysand violent behaviour.	8 Man and beast shall be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God; every man shall turn from his evil way and from the violence he has in hand.
9 Who knows? Perhaps God wil change his mind and relent and renounce his burning wrath, so that weshall not perish.'	9 Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath, so that we shall not perish."
10 God saw their efforts to renounce their evil ways. And God relented about the disaster which he hadthreatened to bring on them, and did not bring it.	10 When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.