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The Book of Jonah

Jonah tells the story of a prophet who fled God's call to preach to Israel's feared enemy, Nineveh, and was swallowed by a great fish before finally obeying. Its 4 chapters read as narrative rather than oracle, following Jonah from flight to reluctant obedience to Nineveh's mass repentance. Read from Jonah chapter 1.

Book of Jonah — Read All 4 Chapters Online

À propos de Jonas

Jonah is the thirty-second book of the Bible and the fifth Minor Prophet, written around 760-750 BC and spanning 4 chapters. Unlike most prophetic books which are collections of oracles, Jonah is primarily a narrative -- the story of a reluctant prophet whom God called to preach to Israel's feared enemy, the mighty Assyrian city of Nineveh. Jonah famously ran in the opposite direction, boarded a ship to Tarshish, was thrown overboard in a storm he had caused by his disobedience, swallowed by a great fish, prayed from inside the fish's belly, and was vomited onto dry land -- after which he went to Nineveh and, to his own amazement and irritation, saw the entire city repent in response to his brief message. The book concludes with God gently confronting Jonah's anger at God's mercy toward Israel's enemies. Major themes include the universal scope of God's compassion, the futility of running from God's call, the power of genuine repentance, and the struggle of the religious with God's grace toward outsiders. Key chapters include Jonah 1 (Jonah's flight and the storm), Jonah 2 (Jonah's prayer from the fish), and Jonah 4 (Jonah's anger at God's mercy). Jesus referenced Jonah's three days in the fish as a sign of His own death and resurrection. Jonah KJV Bible reading presents a God whose mercy always exceeds our expectations. Read the Book of Jonah online here in full.

Questions Fréquentes

Who wrote the book of Jonah, and when?
Jonah is traditionally dated to around 760-750 BC and spans 4 chapters. Unlike most prophetic books, it's told almost entirely as narrative rather than a collection of oracles; compare translations at the Jonah in ASV or start reading at Jonah chapter 1.
Why did Jonah run away from God's call?
God called Jonah to preach repentance to Nineveh, the capital of Israel's feared enemy Assyria, and Jonah fled in the opposite direction by ship rather than deliver a message of mercy to a people he wanted to see judged.
What happened when Jonah was thrown overboard?
Jonah was swallowed by a great fish after being thrown into the sea during a storm he had caused by his disobedience; he prayed from inside the fish and was then vomited onto dry land, after which he finally went to Nineveh.
Why was Jesus interested in the story of Jonah?
Jesus cited Jonah's three days inside the fish as a sign of his own coming death and resurrection, making Jonah one of the Old Testament's clearest foreshadowings of Christ despite being primarily a narrative rather than direct prophecy.
Did Nineveh actually repent in the book of Jonah?
Yes -- Jonah's brief message provoked the most dramatic mass repentance recorded in the Bible, with the entire city, including its king, turning from violence and fasting in response, much to Jonah's own displeasure.
What is the point of Jonah's anger at the end of the book?
Jonah 4 shows God gently confronting Jonah's anger that mercy had been extended to Israel's enemies, revealing a width of compassion for people outside Israel that anticipates the universal salvation language later prophets like Isaiah use.

Jesus later pointed to Jonah's three days inside the fish as a sign of his own death and resurrection, giving the book lasting significance beyond its own story. It sits among the twelve Minor Prophets alongside Isaiah and Jeremiah in the wider prophetic tradition.