1 And the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying,

2 Up! go to Nineveh, that great town, and give it the word which I have given you.

3 So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh as the Lord had said. Now Nineveh was a very great town, three days' journey from end to end.

4 And Jonah first of all went a day's journey into the town, and crying out said, In forty days destruction will overtake Nineveh.

5 And the people of Nineveh had belief in God; and a time was fixed for going without food, and they put on haircloth, from the greatest to the least.

6 And the word came to the king of Nineveh, and he got up from his seat of authority, and took off his robe, and covering himself with haircloth, took his seat in the dust.

7 And he had it given out in Nineveh, By the order of the king and his great men, no man or beast, herd or flock, is to have a taste of anything; let them have no food or water:

8 And let man and beast be covered with haircloth, and let them make strong prayers to God: and let everyone be turned from his evil way and the violent acts of their hands.

9 Who may say that God will not be turned, changing his purpose and turning away from his burning wrath, so that destruction may not overtake us?

10 And God saw what they did, how they were turned from their evil way; and God's purpose was changed as to the evil which he said he would do to them, and he did it not.

1 Joonalle tuli toisen kerran tämä Herran sana:

2 Lähde Niniveen, tuohon suureen kaupunkiin, ja julista sille se sanoma, jonka minä sinulle puhun.

3 Nyt Joona meni Niniveen, niin kuin Herra oli käskenyt. Ninive oli suunnattoman suuri kaupunki, laidasta laitaan kolme päivänmatkaa.

5 Sen kuultuaan Niniven asukkaat uskoivat Jumalaan. He julistivat paaston, ja niin ylhäiset kuin alhaisetkin pukeutuivat säkkivaatteeseen.

6 Kun Joonan sanat tulivat Niniven kuninkaan korviin, hän nousi valtaistuimeltaan, riisui viittansa, pukeutui säkkivaatteeseen ja istuutui tomuun.

8 Kaikkien, niin ihmisten kuin eläintenkin, on kuljettava säkkivaatteeseen puettuina, kaikkien on huudettava Jumalaa täysin voimin. Jokainen kääntyköön pahoilta teiltään ja hylätköön väärät tekonsa.

10 Jumala näki, että he kääntyivät pahoilta teiltään. Niin hän muutti mielensä eikä sallinutkaan onnettomuuden kohdata niniveläisiä, vaikka oli sanonut tuhoavansa heidät.