The Ninevites Repent (Matthew 12:38–42; Luke 11:29–32)
1 CPDV And the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying: BSB BSB: Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:
2 CPDV Rise, and go to Nineveh, the great city. And preach in it the preaching that I say to you. BSB BSB: “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message that I give you.”
3 CPDV And Jonah rose, and he went to Nineveh in accordance with the word of the Lord. And Nineveh was a great city of three days’ journey. BSB BSB: This time Jonah got up and went to Nineveh, in accordance with the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, requiring a three-day journey.
4 CPDV And Jonah began to enter into the city one day’s journey. And he cried out and said, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed.” BSB BSB: On the first day of his journey, Jonah set out into the city and proclaimed, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned!”
5 CPDV And the men of Nineveh believed in God. And they proclaimed a fast, and they put on sackcloth, from the greatest all the way to the least. BSB BSB: And the Ninevites believed God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least.
6 CPDV And word reached the king of Nineveh. And he rose from his throne, and he threw off his robe from himself and was clothed in sackcloth, and he sat in ashes. BSB BSB: When word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7 CPDV And he cried out and spoke: “In Nineveh, from the mouth of the king and of his princes, let it be said: Men and beasts and oxen and sheep may not taste anything. Neither shall they feed or drink water. BSB BSB: Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let no man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything at all. They must not eat or drink.
8 CPDV And let men and beasts be covered with sackcloth, and let them cry out to the Lord with strength, and may man be converted from his evil way, and from the iniquity that is in their hands. BSB BSB: Furthermore, let both man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and have everyone call out earnestly to God. Let each one turn from his evil ways and from the violence in his hands.
9 CPDV Who knows if God may turn and forgive, and may turn away from his furious wrath, so that we might not perish?” BSB BSB: Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we will not perish.”
10 CPDV And God saw their works, that they had been converted from their evil way. And God took pity on them, concerning the harm that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. BSB BSB: When God saw their actions—that they had turned from their evil ways—He relented from the disaster He had threatened to bring upon them.