¹The LORD ’s word came to Jonah the second time , saying ,

²“Arise , go to Nineveh , that great city , and preach to it the message that I give you .”

³So Jonah arose , and went to Nineveh , according to the LORD ’s word . Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city , three days ’ journey across.

⁴Jonah began to enter into the city a day ’s journey , and he cried out, and said , “In forty days , Nineveh will be overthrown !”

⁵The people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth , from their greatest even to their least .

⁶The news reached the king of Nineveh , and he arose from his throne , took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth , and sat in ashes.

⁷He made a proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles , saying, “Let neither man nor animal, herd nor flock , taste anything ; let them not feed , nor drink water ;

⁸but let them be covered with sackcloth , both man and animal, and let them cry mightily to God. Yes, let them turn everyone from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands .

⁹Who knows whether God will not turn and relent , and turn away from his fierce anger , so that we might not perish?”

¹⁰God saw their works , that they turned from their evil way . God relented of the disaster which he said he would do to them , and he didn’t do it .