Nineve Repents
Jonah 3
The Lord sends Jonas a second time to Nineve, and he proclaims through the city that it will be overthrown in three days. The king and people of Nineve believe God, proclaim a fast, and put on sackcloth, turning from their evil ways, and the Lord relents of the calamity he had planned against them.
About these editions
The Septuagint (LXX) in Greek, with Charles Thomson’s 1808 and Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 English translations, set beside the King James Version and the Jewish Masoretic text (JPS 1917) where they align, so you can compare the Greek and the Hebrew. All public domain; choose which to show with the controls above.
Thomson 1808Septuagint
Brenton 1851Septuagint
Greek · BrentonSeptuagint
KJV 1769Masoretic
JPS 1917Masoretic
1
ThomsonTHEN a word of the Lord came to Jonas a second time saying,
BrentonAnd the word of the Lord came to Jonas the second time, saying,
GreekΚαὶ ἐγένετο λόγος Κυρίου πρὸς Ἰωνᾶν ἐκ δευτέρου, λέγων,
KJVAnd the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
JPSAnd the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying:
2
ThomsonArise and go to Ninive, that great city, and proclaim in it according to the former proclamation which I spoke to thee.
BrentonRise, go to Nineve, the great city, and preach in it according to the former preaching which I spoke to thee of.
Greekἀνάστηθι, πορεύθητι εἰς Νινευὴ τὴν πόλιν τὴν μεγάλην; καὶ κήρυξον ἐν αὐτῇ κατὰ τὸ κήρυγμα τὸ ἔμπροσθεν, ὃ ἐγὼ ἐλάλησα πρὸς σέ.
KJVArise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
JPS—
3
ThomsonSo Jonas arose and went to Ninive as the Lord had spoken. Now Ninive was an exceeding great city, of about three days’ journey.
BrentonAnd Jonas arose, and went to Nineve, as the Lord had spoken. Now Nineve was an exceeding great city, of about three days' journey.
GreekΚαὶ ἀνέστη Ἰωνᾶς, καὶ ἐπορεύθη εἰς Νινευὴ, καθὰ ἐλάλησε Κύριος· ἡ δὲ Νινευὴ ἦν πόλις μεγάλη τῷ Θεῷ, ὡσεὶ πορείας ὁδοῦ τριῶν ἡμερῶν·
KJVSo Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey.
JPSSo Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city, of three days’journey.
4
ThomsonAnd Jonas began at his entering the city, and for about one day’s journey cried with a loud voice, and said, Yet three days and Ninive shall be destroyed!
BrentonAnd Jonas began to enter into the city about a day's journey, and he proclaimed, and said, Yet three days, and Nineve shall be overthrown.
Greekκαὶ ἤρξατο Ἰωνᾶς τοῦ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν πόλιν, ὡσεὶ πορείαν ἡμέρας μιᾶς· καὶ ἐκήρυξε, καὶ εἶπεν, ἔτι τρεῖς ἡμέραι, καὶ Νινευὴ καταστραφήσεται.
KJVAnd Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
JPSAnd Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he proclaimed, and said: ‘Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.’
5
ThomsonAnd the men of Ninive believed God and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least.
BrentonAnd the men of Nineve believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloths, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
GreekΚαὶ ἐπίστευσαν οἱ ἄνδρες Νινευὴ τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ἐκήρυξαν νηστείαν, καὶ ἐνεδύσαντο σάκκους ἀπὸ μεγάλου αὐτῶν ἕως μικροῦ αὐτῶν.
KJVSo the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
JPSAnd the people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
6
ThomsonWhen the word reached the king of Ninive, he arose from his throne and stripped off his robes and clothed himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes.
BrentonAnd the word reached the king of Nineve, and he arose from off his throne, and took off his raiment from him, and put on sackcloth, and sat on ashes.
GreekΚαὶ ἤγγισεν ὁ λόγος πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα τῆς Νινευὴ, καὶ ἐξανέστη ἀπὸ τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ, καὶ περιείλατο τὴν στολὴν αὐτοῦ ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ περιεβάλετο σάκκον, καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἐπὶ σποδοῦ.
KJVFor word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
JPSAnd the tidings reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7
ThomsonAnd proclamation was made and orders issued in Ninive from the king and from his nobles, saying, With regard to men and beasts, including herds and flocks, Let them not taste anything; let them neither feed nor drink water.
BrentonAnd proclamation was made, and it was commanded in Nineve by the king and by his great men, saying, Let not men, or cattle, or oxen, or sheep, taste any thing, nor feed, nor drink water.
GreekΚαὶ ἐκηρύχθη, καὶ ἐῤῥέθη ἐν τῇ Νινευὴ παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ παρὰ τῶν μεγιστάνων αὐτοῦ, λέγων, οἱ ἄνθρωποι, καὶ τὰ κτήνη, καὶ οἱ βόες, καὶ τὰ πρόβατα μὴ γευσάσθωσαν, μηδὲ νεμέσθωσαν, μηδὲ ὕδωρ πιέτωσαν.
KJVAnd he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:
JPSAnd he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying: ‘Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing; let them not feed, nor drink water;
8
ThomsonSo both men and beasts were covered with sackcloth; and there was an incessant cry to God; and everyone turned from his evil way, and from the wickedness of their hands, saying,
BrentonSo men and cattle were clothed with sackcloths, and cried earnestly to God; and they turned every one from their evil way, and from the iniquity that was in their hands, saying,
GreekΚαὶ περιεβάλλοντο σάκκους οἱ ἄνθρωποι καὶ τὰ κτήνη, καὶ ἀνεβόησαν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἐκτενῶς· καὶ ἀπέστρεψαν ἕκαστος ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ αὐτῶν τῆς πονηρᾶς, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀδικίας τῆς ἐν χερσὶν αὐτῶν, λέγοντες,
KJVBut let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
JPSbut let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and beast, and let them cry mightily unto God; yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
9
ThomsonWho knoweth but God will relent and turn away from his fierce wrath, so that we may not perish.
BrentonWho knows if God will repent, and turn from his fierce anger, and so we shall not perish?
Greekτίς οἶδεν εἰ μετανοήσει ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ ἀποστρέψει ἐξ ὀργῆς θυμοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀπολώμεθα;
KJVWho can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
JPSWho knoweth whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from His fierce anger, that we perish not?’
10
ThomsonAnd God saw their works, that they turned from their evil ways. And God relented at the evil which He said He would do to them, and did it not.
BrentonAnd God saw their works, that they turned from their evil ways; and God repented of the evil which he had said he would do to them; and he did it not.
GreekΚαὶ εἶδεν ὁ Θεὸς τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν, ὅτι ἀπέστρεψαν ἀπὸ τῶν ὁδῶν αὐτῶν τῶν πονηρῶν, καὶ μετενόησεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐπὶ τῇ κακίᾳ, ᾗ ἐλάλησε τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτοῖς, καὶ οὐκ ἐποίησε.
KJVAnd God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
JPSAnd God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, which He said He would do unto them; and He did it not.