The Ninevites Repent
(Matthew 12:38–42; Luke 11:29–32)

1  וַיְהִ֧י (And came) דְבַר־ (the word) יְהוָ֛ה (of YHWH) אֶל־ (to) יוֹנָ֖ה (Jonah) שֵׁנִ֥ית (a second time), לֵאמֹֽר׃ (saying), 2  ק֛וּם (Arise), לֵ֥ךְ (go) אֶל־ (to) נִֽינְוֵ֖ה (Nineveh), הָעִ֣יר (the city), הַגְּדוֹלָ֑ה (great) וִּקְרָ֤א (and call out) אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ (to it) אֶת־ (-) הַקְּרִיאָ֔ה (the message) אֲשֶׁ֥ר (that) אָנֹכִ֖י (I) דֹּבֵ֥ר (am speaking) אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ (to you).

3  וַיָּ֣קָם (And arose), יוֹנָ֗ה (Jonah) וַיֵּ֛לֶךְ (and went) אֶל־ (to) נִֽינְוֶ֖ה (Nineveh), כִּדְבַ֣ר (according to the word) יְהוָ֑ה (of YHWH).

וְנִֽינְוֵ֗ה (And Nineveh) הָיְתָ֤ה (was) עִיר־ (a city) גְּדוֹלָה֙ (great) לֵֽאלֹהִ֔ים (exceedingly) מַהֲלַ֖ךְ (a journey) שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת (of three) יָמִֽים׃ (days). 4  וַיָּ֤חֶל (And began) יוֹנָה֙ (Jonah) לָב֣וֹא (to come) בָעִ֔יר (into the city) מַהֲלַ֖ךְ (a walk), י֣וֹם (of a day) אֶחָ֑ד (of one) וַיִּקְרָא֙ (and he called out), וַיֹּאמַ֔ר (and said), ע֚וֹד (More) אַרְבָּעִ֣ים (forty) י֔וֹם (days), וְנִֽינְוֵ֖ה (and Nineveh) נֶהְפָּֽכֶת׃ (will be overturned).

5  וַֽיַּאֲמִ֛ינוּ (And trusted) אַנְשֵׁ֥י (the people) נִֽינְוֵ֖ה (of Nineveh) בֵּֽאלֹהִ֑ים (in God), וַיִּקְרְאוּ־ (and they called) צוֹם֙ (a fast), וַיִּלְבְּשׁ֣וּ (and put on) שַׂקִּ֔ים (sackcloth), מִגְּדוֹלָ֖ם (from the greatest of them) וְעַד־ (even to) קְטַנָּֽם׃ (the least of them).

6  וַיִּגַּ֤ע (And reached) הַדָּבָר֙ (this word) אֶל־ (to) מֶ֣לֶך (the king) נִֽינְוֵ֔ה (of Nineveh), וַיָּ֙קָם֙ (and he arose) מִכִּסְא֔וֹ (from his throne), וַיַּעֲבֵ֥ר (and passed off) אַדַּרְתּ֖וֹ (his royal clothing) מֵֽעָלָ֑יו (from him) וַיְכַ֣ס (and he covered himself) שַׂ֔ק (with sackcloth), וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב (and sat) עַל־ (upon) הָאֵֽפֶר׃ (the ashes).

7  וַיַּזְעֵ֗ק (And he had a herald cry out) וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ (and say) בְּנִֽינְוֵ֔ה (in all of Nineveh) מִטַּ֧עַם (By the determination) הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ (of the king) וּגְדֹלָ֖יו (and his nobles), לֵאמֹ֑ר (saying),

הָאָדָ֨ם (The man) וְהַבְּהֵמָ֜ה (and the beast), הַבָּקָ֣ר (the herd) וְהַצֹּ֗אן (and the flock), אַֽל־ (not) יִטְעֲמוּ֙ (let them taste) מְא֔וּמָה (anything). אַ֨ל־ (And not) יִרְע֔וּ (let them graze), וּמַ֖יִם (and water) אַל־ (let not) יִשְׁתּֽוּ׃ (them drink). 8  וְיִתְכַּסּ֣וּ (And let them be covered) שַׂקִּ֗ים (with sackcloth), הָֽאָדָם֙ (the man) וְהַבְּהֵמָ֔ה (and the beast) וְיִקְרְא֥וּ (and call out) אֶל־ (to) אֱלֹהִ֖ים (God); בְּחָזְקָ֑ה (with strength) וְיָשֻׁ֗בוּ (and must turn back) אִ֚ישׁ (each man) מִדַּרְכּ֣וֹ (from his way), הָֽרָעָ֔ה (evil) וּמִן־ (and from), הֶחָמָ֖ס (the violence) אֲשֶׁ֥ר (that is) בְּכַפֵּיהֶֽם׃ (in his hands). 9  מִֽי־ (Who) יוֹדֵ֣עַ (knows) יָשׁ֔וּב (may turn back) וְנִחַ֖ם (and relent), הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים (God) וְשָׁ֛ב (and turn back) מֵחֲר֥וֹן (from the burning) אַפּ֖וֹ (of His anger), וְלֹ֥א (so that not) נֹאבֵֽד׃ (we should perish)?

10  וַיַּ֤רְא (And saw) הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ (God) אֶֽת־ (-) מַ֣עֲשֵׂיהֶ֔ם (their deeds), כִּי־ (that) שָׁ֖בוּ (they turned back) מִדַּרְכָּ֣ם (from their way); הָרָעָ֑ה (evil) וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם (and relented) הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים (God) עַל־ (from) הָרָעָ֛ה (the disaster), אֲשֶׁר־ (that) דִּבֶּ֥ר (He had said) לַעֲשׂוֹת־ (to do) לָהֶ֖ם (to them) וְלֹ֥א (and not) עָשָֽׂה׃ (did He do it).