Study Desk

So the captain went down after him. "How can you sleep at a time like this?" he shouted. "Get up and pray to your god! Maybe he will pay attention to us and spare our lives."

Jonah answered, "I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord , the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land."

Then they cried out to the Lord , Jonah's God. "O Lord ," they pleaded, "don't make us die for this man's sin. And don't hold us responsible for his death. O Lord , you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons."

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish.

I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O Lord my God, snatched me from the jaws of death!

People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence.

Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us."

When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.

So he complained to the Lord about it: "Didn't I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord ? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.

And the Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah's head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.

But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away.

And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. "Death is certainly better than living like this!" he exclaimed.

Then God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?" "Yes," Jonah retorted, "even angry enough to die!"

In that day your enemies will make fun of you by singing this song of despair about you: "We are finished, completely ruined! God has confiscated our land, taking it from us. He has given our fields to those who betrayed us."

You have evicted women from their pleasant homes and forever stripped their children of all that God would give them.

Then you seers will be put to shame, and you fortune-tellers will be disgraced. And you will cover your faces because there is no answer from God."

People from many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord , to the house of Jacob's God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths." For the Lord 's teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem.

Though the nations around us follow their idols, we will follow the Lord our God forever and ever.

And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord 's strength, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. Then his people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly honored around the world.

What can we bring to the Lord ? Should we bring him burnt offerings? Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves?