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God comes before Jonah
God tells Jonah to "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me." -
Jonah sins
Jonah doesn't listen to God. Instead, he flees to Tarshish on a ship. -
God punishes Jonah
God creates a violent storm. The ship is threatening to break apart and the sailors are praying to their gods while Jonah sleeps. The captain wakes him up and the sailors draw lots to see whose god is angry with them. They realise God is angry with Jonah and he tells them to throw him overboard. -
Jonah goes overboard
The sailors refuse to throw Jonah overboard, not wanting to kill an innocent man. They try to row to shore, but the storm only becomes more violent, so they cry out "Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” Then they throw Jonah into the sea, which immediately calms. -
The giant fish
God summoned a huge fish to swallow Jonah. He stayed in the fish for three days and three nights. -
Jonah repents
While Jonah was in the fish, he prayed.
“In my distress I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.
You hurled me into the depths,
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
swept over me.
I said, ‘I have been banished
from your sight;
yet I will look again
toward your holy temple.’" -
Jonah repents continued
"The engulfing waters threatened me,
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.
To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, Lord my God,
brought my life up from the pit.
“When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered you, Lord,
and my prayer rose to you,
to your holy temple.
“Those who cling to worthless idols
turn away from God’s love for them." -
Jonah repents continued continued
"But I, with shouts of grateful praise,
will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’” -
God's Grace
Hearing Jonah's prayer, God summoned the fish to regurgitate Jonah onto the shore. -
Jonah goes to Ninevah
Gods tells Jonah to go to Ninevah again. This time, Jonah obeys. In Ninevah, he warns the people of God's wrath. The people repent by fasting and wearing sackcloth. God sees this and forgives them.