Jonah

23In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years.

Amaziah son of Joash had been king of Judah for fifteen years. In that year Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king of Israel. He ruled in Samaria for forty-one years.

24And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

He did what was evil to the LORD. He kept on doing the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat. That Jeroboam had led Israel into sin long before.

25He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher.

Jeroboam won back Israel's land, from Lebo-hamath down to the Sea of the Arabah. This happened just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had said. He had spoken it through his servant Jonah son of Amittai. Jonah was a prophet from Gath-hepher, someone who told people what God said.

26For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel.

The LORD saw how much Israel was hurting. Life was very bitter for everyone, slave and free. There was no one to help Israel.

27And the LORD said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.

The LORD had said he would not wipe Israel's name off the earth. So he rescued them through Jeroboam son of Jehoash.

1Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

God spoke to a man named Jonah. Jonah's father was named Amittai. God said:

2Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

"Get up and go to the big city of Nineveh. Tell the people there that they have done wrong. I have seen all the bad things they do."

3But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

But Jonah got up and ran the other way. He wanted to get far from the LORD. He went down to the town of Joppa. There he found a ship sailing to a faraway place called Tarshish. He paid for a ticket and got on the ship. He wanted to sail away from the LORD.

4But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.

But the LORD sent a strong wind onto the sea. A big storm came. The ship was almost breaking apart.

5Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.

The sailors were scared. Each one prayed to his own god. They threw the boxes and bags off the ship. They wanted the ship to be lighter. But Jonah had gone down deep inside the ship. He was lying there, sound asleep.

6So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.

The captain of the ship came and found him. He said, "How can you sleep? Get up and pray to your God! Maybe your God will think about us, so we do not die."

7And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

The sailors said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots. Then we will know who caused this trouble." So they cast lots, and the lot pointed to Jonah.

8Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?

So they said to him, "Please tell us. Who caused this trouble for us? What is your job? Where did you come from? What country is yours? Who are your people?"

9And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.

Jonah said, "I am a Hebrew. I worship the LORD, the God of the heavens. He made the sea and the dry land."

10Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.

Then the men were even more scared. They said, "What have you done?" They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had told them so.

11Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.

The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down?"

12And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.

Jonah said, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will grow calm for you. I know this big storm came because of me."

13Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.

But the men did not do it yet. They rowed hard to reach dry land. They could not do it. The sea kept getting rougher against them.

14Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.

So they prayed to the LORD. They said, "Please, LORD, please! Do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not blame us for hurting a man who did no wrong to us. You, LORD, have done what you wanted."

15So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.

So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea. The wild sea grew calm.

16Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.

Then the men were filled with awe for the LORD. They gave him a sacrifice, a gift given to God. They also made promises to him.

17Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

The LORD had already sent a great fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.

1Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly,

Jonah was inside the fish. There he prayed to the LORD his God.

2And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

He said, "I was in deep trouble. I called out to the LORD. And he answered me. From the place of the dead I called for help. You heard my voice."

3For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.

"You threw me into the deep sea. I sank down into the middle of the water. The current spun all around me. All your big waves rolled over me."

4Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

"Then I said, 'You have sent me away from you. But I will look again toward your holy temple.'"

5The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.

"The water covered me. It was close to taking my life. The deep water closed all around me. Seaweed was wrapped around my head."

6I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.

"I sank down to the bottoms of the mountains. The earth shut me in like a locked door forever. But you lifted my life up out of the pit, LORD my God."

7When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

"My life was slipping away from me. Then I remembered the LORD. My prayer came up to you, into your holy temple."

8They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

"Some people hold on to idols, which are gods that are not real. They turn away from the God who loves them."

9But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.

"But I will bring you a gift and sing thank you to you. I will do what I promised to do. The LORD is the one who saves."

10And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

Then the LORD spoke to the fish. The fish spit Jonah out onto dry land.

1And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,

The LORD spoke to Jonah again. This was the second time.

2Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.

God said, "Get up. Go to the big city of Nineveh. Tell the people the message I give you."

3So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey.

So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh, just as the LORD said. Nineveh was a very big city. It took three days to walk through it.

4And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

Jonah walked into the city for one whole day. He called out loudly, "In forty days, Nineveh will be knocked down!"

5So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.

The people of Nineveh believed God. They said everyone should go without food. They put on rough, scratchy cloth to show they were sorry. Everyone did this, the important people and the ordinary people.

6For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

The news reached the king of Nineveh. He got up off his royal seat. He took off his fine robe. He put on the rough cloth and sat down in ashes.

7And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:

Then the king and his leaders sent out an order for all Nineveh. It said, "No person and no animal may eat anything. That means cows and sheep too. They must not eat or drink."

8But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.

"Let people and animals be covered with the rough cloth. Let everyone call out to God with all their strength. Let each person stop doing wrong. Let them stop hurting other people."

9Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

"Maybe God will change His mind. Maybe He will stop being angry. Then we will not die."

10And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

God saw what they did. He saw that they stopped doing wrong. So God changed His mind about the harm He said He would send. He did not do it.

1But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.

But Jonah was very upset about this. He was very angry.

2And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.

He prayed to the LORD and said, "LORD, isn't this just what I said back home? That is why I ran away toward Tarshish. I knew that you are a kind and loving God. You do not get angry quickly. Your love is very great. You change your mind and do not send the trouble."

3Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

"So now, LORD, please take my life away. I would rather die than live."

4Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?

Then the LORD said, "Is it right for you to be angry?"

5So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.

So Jonah went out of the city. He sat down on the east side of it. He made himself a little shelter and sat in its shade. He waited to see what would happen to the city.

6And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.

Then the LORD God made a leafy plant grow up over Jonah. It gave shade for his head and made him feel better. Jonah was very happy about the plant.

7But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.

But the next day, as the sun came up, God sent a worm. The worm chewed the plant, and the plant dried up and died.

8And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.

When the sun rose, God sent a hot, strong wind from the east. The sun beat down on Jonah's head. He felt weak and dizzy. He wished he could die. He said, "I would rather die than live."

9And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.

God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?" Jonah said, "Yes, it is. I am angry enough to die."

10Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:

Then the LORD said, "You felt sorry about the plant. But you did not work for it or make it grow. It came up in one night and died in one night."

11And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

"So shouldn't I care about Nineveh, that big city? More than 120,000 people live there. They do not even know their right hand from their left. And many animals live there too."

38Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.

Then some scribes and Pharisees said, "Teacher, show us a sign." Scribes were men who studied and copied God's law.

39But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

Jesus answered, "Wicked people who have turned away from God ask for a sign. They will get only one sign, the sign of the prophet Jonah.

40For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

"Jonah was inside a huge fish for three days and three nights. In the same way, the Son of Man will be deep inside the earth for three days and three nights.

41The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

"On judgment day the men of Nineveh will stand with the people of today. They will show these people are guilty. The men of Nineveh turned from their sins when Jonah preached. And someone greater than Jonah is here.

42The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

"On judgment day the queen of the south will also stand with the people of today. She will show these people are guilty. She traveled from very far away to hear Solomon's wise words. And someone greater than Solomon is here.

1The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.

Some leaders came to Jesus. They were Pharisees and Sadducees, two groups of Jewish leaders. They wanted to trap him. They asked him to show them a sign from the sky.

2He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.

Jesus answered them. He said, "In the evening you say, 'Tomorrow will be a nice day. The sky is red.'"

3And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

"In the morning you say, 'A storm is coming today. The sky is red and cloudy.' You know how to read the sky. But you cannot read the signs of this time. You only pretend to be good."

4A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

"People today do wrong. They have turned away from God. They keep asking for a sign. They will get only one sign. It is the sign of Jonah, a prophet long ago." Then Jesus left them and went away.