Episode by Kyle Oliver for prayr.cc (CC BY 2.0)
Image: “jonah” by piotr mamnaimie via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
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On today’s episode, we have the entirety of the Book of Jonah (World English Bible translation).
Twice in the last month or so I’ve had reasonably in-depth conversations in social settings about this eccentric but accessible book. It’s a story, it seems to me, about God’s generosity and our frequent inability to receive it.
And it’s certainly a lot more than just the story of the whale … in fact, I find that most people don’t know or remember what happens next. Let’s change that.
Included below is the text of chapter 3, which is the part that appears in the lectionary on Sundays.
Book of Jonah, Chapter 3
World English Bible (Public Domain)
1 The LORD’s word came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I give you.”
3 So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to the LORD’s word. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey across. 4 Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried out, and said, “In forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown!”
5 The people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from their greatest even to their least. 6 The news reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 He made a proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, “Let neither man nor animal, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, nor drink water; 8 but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and animal, and let them cry mightily to God. Yes, let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows whether God will not turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?”
10 God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God relented of the disaster which he said he would do to them, and he didn’t do it.
Related Media
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Read Scripture: Jonah by The Bible Project – FREE
This project does incredibly beautiful work. I don’t always agree with their theological perspective, but their stuff is always worth a look.
Jonah Run: An Infinite Runner Game set in Temple Times by BimBam – FREE
Silly and fun, from the most creative religious educators I know.
Bible Briefs: Jonah by Karen A. H. Wacome – FREE
From the introductory series edited by Virginia Theological Seminary & Forward Movement.
Jonah Tossed Overboard by Melanie Matthews – FREE to use in worship with attribution
From the (sadly no longer operating) Old & New Project