31 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time , saying , 2 "Arise , go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you." 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord . Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city , a three days' walk . 4 Then Jonah began to go through the city one day's walk ; and he cried out and said , "Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown ."
5 Then the people of Nineveh believed in God ; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. 6 When the word reached the king of Nineveh , he arose from his throne , laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes . 7 He issued a proclamation and it said , "In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles : Do not let man , beast , herd , or flock taste a thing . Do not let them eat or drink water . 8 "But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth ; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands . 9 " Who knows , God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish ." 10 When God saw their deeds , that they turned from their wicked way , then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.
