A long time ago, there lived a man named Jonah. One day God said to Jonah, “Go to the great city of Nineveh and tell the people there that they are doing bad things and that they must stop, otherwise the city will be destroyed.”
But Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh. He was scared and thought that the people there would not hear. That’s why he decided to run away. Jonah boarded a ship that was going in the opposite direction, to Tarshish.
While the ship was on the sea, God sent a strong wind. A great storm came up, and the ship rocked to and fro. The sailors were very afraid. They prayed to their gods and threw everything superfluous overboard to make the ship lighter. But the storm didn’t get any better.
Jonah slept soundly in the ship. The captain woke him up and said, “Get up and call on your God! Maybe He will save us!” The sailors decided to draw lots among themselves to determine who should be blamed for the storm – and the lot fell on Jonah.
Then Jonah told them that he was running away from God. “Throw me into the sea,” he said, “and the storm will subside.” The sailors didn’t want that, but as the storm got worse and worse, they prayed to God and threw Jonah into the sea. Immediately the sea calmed down, and the sailors honored God.
But Jonah was not lost! God sent a large fish that devoured Jonah. For three days and three nights Jonah was in the belly of the fish. There he prayed to God, repented of his escape and promised to follow God’s instructions.
God heard Jonah and let the fish spit him safely onto the land. Then God said to Jonah again, “Go to Nineveh.” This time Jonah went. He went through the great city and warned the people that the city would be destroyed if they did not turn back.
The people of Nineveh believed Jonah and repented. They prayed to God and stopped doing the evil things. God saw that they had changed their behavior, and He spared the city.
Jonah, however, was sad that God did not destroy Nineveh, because he wanted the city to be punished for its deeds. Then God explained to him that He loves the people of Nineveh and He does not want them to perish. He showed Jonah that it is more important to be merciful.
Message of history
God loves all people and wants them to repent and do the right thing. He is merciful and gladly forgives when we return to Him.
Bible passage
The story of Jonah and the big fish is found in the book of Jonah, chapters 1 to 4. Here is the text from the Schlachter 2000 translation:
Jonah 1:1-17: “And the word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying, ‘Arise and go to Nineveh the great city, and preach against them, for their wickedness has come up before me.’ But Jonah set out to flee from the presence of the Lord to Tarshish; And he went down to Jafo, found a ship going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and got on board to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. Then the Lord threw a strong wind on the sea, so that a great storm arose on the sea, and the ship threatened to break. Then the sailors were terrified, and they cried out, each to his gods, and threw the implements that were in the ship into the sea to make it easier. Jonah, however, had descended into the lower room of the ship, lay down and fell fast asleep. Then the captain of the ship came to him and said, “What, you are still asleep?” Arise, call on your God! Perhaps God will take care of us so that we do not perish! And they said one to another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose sake this calamity has come upon us.” And they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, “Tell us for whose sake this calamity has befallen us.” What is your business, and where do you come from? What is your country, and what people are you from? He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Then the men were terrified and said to him, “What have you done? For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord; He had told them that. Then they said to him, “What shall we do with you, so that the sea may leave us alone?” Because the sea was raging more and more violently. He said to them, “Take me and throw me into the sea, and the sea will leave you alone.” For I know that this great storm has come upon you for my sake. The men, however, rowed with all their strength to reach the land; but they could not, because the sea was rushing against them more and more violently. Then they cried out to the Lord, saying, “O Lord, let us not perish for the soul of this man, and do not give us innocent blood to owe us; for you, O Lord, have done what pleases you. And they took Jonah and threw him into the sea. Then the sea ceased its rage. And the men feared the Lord very much, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. And the Lord ordered a great fish to devour Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.”
Jonah 2:1-11: “And Jonah prayed to the Lord his God out of the belly of the fish, saying, ‘I cried to the Lord out of my distress, and he answered me; I cried out from the bosom of the grave, and you heard my voice. For you had thrown me into the depths, into the middle of the sea, so that the current washed around me; all your waves and waves passed over me. And I said, “I am cast out from your eyes; yet I will look again at your holy temple. Water surrounded me to the soul, the deep enclosed me, seaweed encircled my head. I sank down to the depths of the mountains; the bars of the earth closed behind me for ever; but you have brought my life out of the pit, O Lord my God! When my soul fainted with me, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you in your holy temple. The worshippers of vain idols forsake their grace; but I will offer you sacrifices with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay for what I have vowed: salvation is with the Lord. And the Lord commanded the fish; and he spat Jonah ashore.”
Jonah 3:1-10: “And the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh the great city, and tell her the message that I am going to tell you.’ So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh, as the Lord had told him. Nineveh, however, was a very large city before God, three days’ journey in size. And Jonah began to traverse the city, a day’s journey, and he preached and said, “Another forty days, and Nineveh will be destroyed.” Then the people of Nineveh believed in God, they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the smallest. And the plan was done before the king of Nineveh; and he got up from his throne, and took off his cloak, and wrapped himself in sackcloth, and sat down in the ashes. And they had it proclaimed and said in Nineveh, by order of the king and his nobles, “Neither men nor cattle, neither cattle nor sheep shall enjoy anything; they should not be grazed or allowed to drink water. And they shall wrap themselves in sackcloth, men and beasts, and cry out to God with power, and shall turn back, each one from his evil way and from the iniquity that clings to their hands. Who knows, God might repent and repent and forsake His fierce wrath, so that we do not perish! But when God saw their deeds, that they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened them, and did not do it.”
Jonah 4:1-11: “But Jonah was very displeased with this, and he became angry. And Jonah prayed to the Lord, saying, “Ah, Lord, was this not my speech when I was in my own land?” That is why I wanted to flee to Tarshish first; for I knew that you were a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and of great grace, and that you repent of evil. Therefore, O Lord, take my soul from me; for I would rather be dead than live! Then the Lord said, “Is it right that you should be so angry? And Jonah went out of the city, and sat down east of the city, and made himself a tabernacle there, and sat down under its shade, until he saw what would happen to the city. And the Lord God ordered a castor bean bush; he grew up over Jonah, so that he might bring shadow over his head and free him from his distemper. And Jonah was very happy about the castor bean bushes. Then God appointed a worm; it pricked the castor bean bushes so that it withered. And it came to pass, when the sun was rising, that God appointed a hot east wind; and the sun stung Jonah on the head, so that he became faint; and he wished for death, saying, “I would rather be dead than live.” Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right that you should be angry because of the castor bean plant? And he said, “I am rightly angry with death.” Then the Lord said, “You are sorry for the castor bean that you have not cared for, and that you have not raised, that came into being in one night and was spoiled in one night.” And shouldn’t I feel sorry for the great city of Nineveh, where there are more than 120,000 people who do not know how to distinguish their right hand from their left, and many animals?”
