Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Go to ^aNineveh the great city and ^bdeclare to it the message which I am going to tell you.” 3 So Jonah went to Nineveh in accordance with the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an ^aexceedingly great city, a ¹three days’ walk about sixty miles in circumference. 4 Then on the first day’s walk, Jonah ¹began to go through the city, and he ^acalled out and said, “Forty days more remain and then Nineveh will be overthrown!”

5 The people of Nineveh believed and trusted in God; and they proclaimed a ^afast and put on sackcloth in penitent mourning, from the greatest even to the least of them. 6 When word reached the king of Nineveh of Jonah’s message from God, he rose from his throne, took off his robe, ^acovered himself with sackcloth and sat in the dust in repentance. 7 He issued a ^aproclamation and it said, “In Nineveh, by the decree of the king and his nobles: No man, animal, herd, or flock is to taste anything. They are not to eat or drink water. 8 But both man and animal must be covered with sackcloth; and every one is to ^acall on God earnestly and forcefully that each may ^bturn from his wicked way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 ^aWho knows, God may turn in compassion and relent and withdraw His burning anger (judgment) so that we will not perish.” Joel 2:13, 14

10 When God saw their deeds, that they ^aturned from their wicked way, then ^bGod had compassion and relented concerning the disaster which He had declared that He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.