Jonah 3-4

New International Version

Jonah Goes to Nineveh

3 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah^(A) a second time: ²“Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

³Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. ⁴Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming,^(B) “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” ⁵The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.^(C)

⁶When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.^(D) ⁷This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:

“By the decree of the king and his nobles:

Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink.^(E) ⁸But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call^(F) urgently on God. Let them give up^(G) their evil ways^(H) and their violence.^(I) ⁹Who knows?^(J) God may yet relent^(K) and with compassion turn^(L) from his fierce anger^(M) so that we will not perish.”

¹⁰When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented^(N) and did not bring on them the destruction^(O) he had threatened.^(P)

Jonah’s Anger at the Lord’s Compassion

4 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.^(Q) ²He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew^(R) that you are a gracious^(S) and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love,^(T) a God who relents^(U) from sending calamity.^(V) ³Now, Lord, take away my life,^(W) for it is better for me to die^(X) than to live.”^(Y)

⁴But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”^(Z)

⁵Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. ⁶Then the Lord God provided^(AA) a leafy plant^[a] and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. ⁷But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered.^(AB) ⁸When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die,^(AC) and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

⁹But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”^(AD)

“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”

¹⁰But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. ¹¹And should I not have concern^(AE) for the great city of Nineveh,^(AF) in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

Footnotes

Jonah 4:6 The precise identification of this plant is uncertain; also in verses 7, 9 and 10.

Psalm 16-17

New International Version

Psalm 16

A miktam^[a] of David.

¹Keep me safe,^(A) my God,
for in you I take refuge.^(B)

²I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;^(C)
    apart from you I have no good thing.”^(D)
³I say of the holy people^(E) who are in the land,^(F)
    “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
⁴Those who run after other gods^(G) will suffer^(H) more and more.
    I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
    or take up their names^(I) on my lips.

⁵Lord, you alone are my portion^(J) and my cup;^(K)
    you make my lot^(L) secure.
⁶The boundary lines^(M) have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    surely I have a delightful inheritance.^(N)
⁷I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;^(O)
    even at night^(P) my heart instructs me.
⁸I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand,^(Q) I will not be shaken.^(R)

⁹Therefore my heart is glad^(S) and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest secure,^(T)
¹⁰because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,^(U)
    nor will you let your faithful^[b] one^(V) see decay.^(W)
¹¹You make known to me the path of life;^(X)
    you will fill me with joy in your presence,^(Y)
    with eternal pleasures^(Z) at your right hand.^(AA)

Psalm 17

A prayer of David.

¹Hear me,^(AB) Lord, my plea is just;
    listen to my cry.^(AC)
Hear^(AD) my prayer—
    it does not rise from deceitful lips.^(AE)
²Let my vindication^(AF) come from you;
    may your eyes see what is right.^(AG)

³Though you probe my heart,^(AH)
    though you examine me at night and test me,^(AI)
you will find that I have planned no evil;^(AJ)
    my mouth has not transgressed.^(AK)
⁴Though people tried to bribe me,
    I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
    through what your lips have commanded.
⁵My steps have held to your paths;^(AL)
    my feet have not stumbled.^(AM)

⁶I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;^(AN)
    turn your ear to me^(AO) and hear my prayer.^(AP)
⁷Show me the wonders of your great love,^(AQ)
    you who save by your right hand^(AR)
    those who take refuge^(AS) in you from their foes.
⁸Keep me^(AT) as the apple of your eye;^(AU)
    hide me^(AV) in the shadow of your wings^(AW)
⁹from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
    from my mortal enemies who surround me.^(AX)

¹⁰They close up their callous hearts,^(AY)
    and their mouths speak with arrogance.^(AZ)
¹¹They have tracked me down, they now surround me,^(BA)
    with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
¹²They are like a lion^(BB) hungry for prey,^(BC)
    like a fierce lion crouching in cover.

¹³Rise up,^(BD) Lord, confront them, bring them down;^(BE)
    with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
¹⁴By your hand save me from such people, Lord,
    from those of this world^(BF) whose reward is in this life.^(BG)
May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;
    may their children gorge themselves on it,
    and may there be leftovers^(BH) for their little ones.