The Book of Jonah

God said,“Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?” And Jonah said, “Yes, angry enough to die.”

The Books of the Bible

Previous Book: Obadiah

Language:

Hebrew

Author:

Anonymous

People:

Jonah

Places:

Nineveh

Chapter 1	Jonah Tries to Run Away from God
Chapter 2	A Psalm of Thanksgiving
Chapter 3	Conversion of Nineveh
Chapter 4	Jonah’s Anger Jonah is Reproved

Highlights

Jonah Tries to Run Away from God

Jonah 1:1-4

Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid his fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and such a mighty storm came upon the sea that the ship threatened to break up.1

Jonah is Thrown into the Sea

Jonah 1:15-16

Then they cried out to the LORD, “Please, O LORD, we pray, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life. Do not make us guilty of innocent blood; for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you.” 15 So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the LORD even more, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows. But the LORD provided a large fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

A Psalm of Thanksgiving

Jonah 2:1-2,9-10

Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying,

“I called to the LORD out of my distress,

and he answered me;

9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving

will sacrifice to you;

what I have vowed I will pay.

Deliverance belongs to the LORD!”

10 Then the LORD spoke to the fish, and it spewed Jonah out upon the dry land.

Conversion of Nineveh

Jonah 3:1,10

1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time, saying, 2 “Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD.

10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.

Jonah’s Anger

Jonah 4:1-3

But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. 3 And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

Jonah Is Reproved

Jonah 4:9-10

But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?” And he said, “Yes, angry enough to die.” 10 Then the LORD said, “You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?”

New Revised Standard Version

Next Book: Micah

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