| 1 וַיְהִי דְבַר־יְהוָה אֶל־יֹונָה שֵׁנִית לֵאמֹר | 1 The word of Yahweh was addressed to Jonah a second time. |
| 2 קוּם לֵךְ אֶל־נִינְוֵה הָעִיר הַגְּדֹולָה וִּקְרָא אֵלֶיהָ אֶת־הַקְּרִיאָה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי דֹּבֵר אֵלֶיךָ | 2 'Up!' he said, 'Go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach to it as I shal tel you.' |
| 3 וַיָּקָם יֹונָה וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל־נִינְוֶה כִּדְבַר יְהוָה וְנִינְוֵה הָיְתָה עִיר־גְּדֹולָה לֵאלֹהִים מַהֲלַךְ שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים | 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. |
| 4 וַיָּחֶל יֹונָה לָבֹוא בָעִיר מַהֲלַךְ יֹום אֶחָד וַיִּקְרָא וַיֹּאמַר עֹוד אַרְבָּעִים יֹום וְנִינְוֵה נֶהְפָּכֶת | 4 Jonah began by going a day's journey into the city and then proclaimed, 'Only forty days more andNineveh will be overthrown.' |
| 5 וַיַּאֲמִינוּ אַנְשֵׁי נִינְוֵה בֵּאלֹהִים וַיִּקְרְאוּ־צֹום וַיִּלְבְּשׁוּ שַׂקִּים מִגְּדֹולָם וְעַד־קְטַנָּם | 5 And the people of Nineveh believed in God; they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from thegreatest to the least. |
| 6 וַיִּגַּע הַדָּבָר אֶל־מֶלֶך נִינְוֵה וַיָּקָם מִכִּסְאֹו וַיַּעֲבֵר אַדַּרְתֹּו מֵעָלָיו וַיְכַס שַׂק וַיֵּשֶׁב עַל־הָאֵפֶר | 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. |
| 7 וַיַּזְעֵק וַיֹּאמֶר בְּנִינְוֵה מִטַּעַם הַמֶּלֶךְ וּגְדֹלָיו לֵאמֹר הָאָדָם וְהַבְּהֵמָה הַבָּקָר וְהַצֹּאן אַל־יִטְעֲמוּ מְאוּמָה אַל־יִרְעוּ וּמַיִם אַל־יִשְׁתּוּ | 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. |
| 8 וְיִתְכַּסּוּ שַׂקִּים הָאָדָם וְהַבְּהֵמָה וְיִקְרְאוּ אֶל־אֱלֹהִים בְּחָזְקָה וְיָשֻׁבוּ אִישׁ מִדַּרְכֹּו הָרָעָה וּמִן־הֶחָמָס אֲשֶׁר בְּכַפֵּיהֶם | 8 All must put on sackcloth and cal on God with al their might; and let everyone renounce his evil waysand violent behaviour. |
| 9 מִי־יֹודֵעַ יָשׁוּב וְנִחַם הָאֱלֹהִים וְשָׁב מֵחֲרֹון אַפֹּו וְלֹא נֹאבֵד | 9 Who knows? Perhaps God wil change his mind and relent and renounce his burning wrath, so that weshall not perish.' |
| 10 וַיַּרְא הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת־מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם כִּי־שָׁבוּ מִדַּרְכָּם הָרָעָה וַיִּנָּחֶם הָאֱלֹהִים עַל־הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר לַעֲשֹׂות־לָהֶם וְלֹא עָשָׂה | 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. |
