Jonah Flees from Yahweh’s Presence - Jonah 1-4

Jonah Flees from Yahweh’s Presence

[1] Now the word of Yahweh came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying,
[2] "Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before Me."
[3] Yet Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, and paid its fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. [Jon 1:1-3 LSB]

[8] Then they heard the sound of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God in the midst of the trees of the garden. [Gen 3:8 LSB]

[16] Then Cain went out from the presence of Yahweh and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. [Gen 4:16 LSB]

[7] Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
[8] If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. [Psa 139:7-8 LSB]

[12] So he said to them, "Lift me up and hurl me into the sea. Then the sea will become quiet for you, for I know that on account of me this great storm [has come] upon you." [Jon 1:12 LSB]

[17] And Yahweh appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights. [Jon 1:12, 17 LSB]

Jonah’s Prayer

[1] Then Jonah prayed to Yahweh his God from the stomach of the fish, 

[2] and he said, "I called out of my distress to Yahweh, And He answered me. I cried for help from the belly of Sheol; You heard my voice. ... 

[7] "While my soul was fainting within me, I remembered Yahweh, And my prayer came to You, To Your holy temple. ... 

[9] But as for me, I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to Yahweh." [Jon 2:1-2, 7, 9 LSB]

Ninevites Turn from Their Evil Ways

[1] Now the word of Yahweh came to Jonah the second time, saying, 

[2] "Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and call out to it this [very] call which I am going to speak to you." 

[3] So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of Yahweh. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days' walk. 

[4] Then Jonah began to go into the city, one day's walk; and he called out and said, "Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown." [Jon 3:1-4 LSB]

[5] And the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. [Jon 3:5 LSB]

[10] Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way, so God relented concerning the evil which He had spoken He would bring upon them. And He did not bring [it upon them]. [Jon 3:10 LSB]

Jonah’s Anger

[10] Then Yahweh said, "You had pity on the plant for which you did not work and [which] you did not cause to grow, which came to be overnight and perished overnight. 

[11] "So should I not have pity on Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know [the difference] between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?" [Jon 4:10-11 LSB]