Jonah and the Whale

Jonah was a good man who usually did what God told him. One day. God told Jonah to go to the great Assyrian city of Nineveh. 

He was to tell the people there that God had seen they were very wicked, and that He would punish them.

Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh. Instead, he hurried to the port of Joppa, and found that a ship was sailing to Tarshish. 

It was a very long way away in the opposite direction from Nineveh, and Jonah thought God wouldn't be able to see him there. 

He went on board the ship. As soon as it left port and sailed out onto the open sea, there was a huge storm. It had been sent by God.

The sailors were terrified, and thought they would drown. They threw everything overboard to lighten the ship, which was in danger of sinking. The captain told the sailors to pray to their gods to save them.

All through the storm. Jonah lay asleep in the bottom of the ship. The captain went to him, and shook him. 'Wake up, wake up and pray to your God to save us, he shouted, above the noise of the storm. 

Jonah sat up. 'I can't pray to God because I'm running away from Him, he shouted back.

The sailors begged Jonah to tell them how to stop the storm. 'You must throw me into the sea, replied Jonah.

'Then the storm will stop and the sea will grow calm again. It's because I'm running away from God that this storm has been sent. 

The sailors tried hard to row to the shore, but the storm got worse and worse.

At last, the sailors decided to throw Jonah overboard. At once, the storm was over, and the sailors thanked Jonah's God for saving their lives.

Jonah sank down and down into the sea. Just as he thought he would drown, A huge whale swam up and swallowed him whole. 

God sent this whale and has saved me. But it's very dark in here, thought Jonah.

He lived inside the whale for three days. He regretted that he had disobeyed God, and prayed that God would help him again. 

The whale swam to the shore, opened its great mouth, and spat Jonah out onto dry land. Jonah was safe.

'Now go to Nineveh, said God. Jonah set off immediately for the city. He told the people there that unless they gave up their wicked ways. God would destroy the city in forty days time.

The people listened to Jonah, and the King ordered them to be sorry for the way they had behaved, and to pray to God.

Jonah sat outside the city and waited for it to be destroyed. He was very hot and angry. He wanted God to destroy Nineveh. But God saw that the people had turned to Him. And He saved the city. 

'Jonah, said God. 'I love all people and I am everywhere. You can't run away from Me.

And Jonah knew that this was true.


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