Jonah, son of Amittai, heard from God one day,
"Go preach my Word in Nineveh, they are in a bad way."
"I cannot ignore them, I want you to go"
but in his heart, Jonah said "NO"
he ran off to Joppa, found a ship there,
went on board and paid his fare.
Thinking he could evade God that day,
simply by running the other way,
sailing to a place called Tarshish
in the opposite direction to God’s wish.
The ship set off in decent weather,
God sent a great wind, hell for leather,
it roared and raged, a wild tempest,
the sailors on board could get no rest,
they prayed to their gods to save their skin
and threw goods overboard to lighten the ship.
Meanwhile down below, under the decks
Jonah curled up, like a baby he slept.
the Captain awoke him, asked him to pray too,
"Maybe your God will come to our rescue."
The sailors decided they should draw lots
to find the culprit who had put them in this spot.
Jonah was the one who lost the draw
when he pulled out the shortened straw.
The sailors asked "what work do you do"
"where are you from, what nationality are you?"
"I am a Hebrew and I worship GOD,
the God of Heaven, who made sea and land,"
said Jonah, with a wave of his hand.
The sailors were greatly afraid, they knew
that Jonah, away from his God had flew.
"What are we going to do with you" they asked,
"to be rid of this storm and safe at last?"
Jonah replied "Throw me over the side,
the storm will cease and calm will abide."
Instead the sailors tried to row to the shore
but made no headway, just as before.
So they prayed to God, "do not let us drown,
for this man, on us do not frown."
"Do not blame us for this mans’ death,
You are God, do what You know to be best."
Then they took Jonah and cast him overboard,
the sea grew calm and no longer roared.
Then sacrifice and vows, the sailors made,
they worshipped God and to Him they prayed.

~o~

Now Jonah sank down in the depths of the sea,
where the Lord had prepared a great fish to be,
just waiting to swallow Jonah whole
for three days and three nights, this poor soul
was trapped in the belly of this great creature
wishing instead he had chosen to be a preacher;
He cried out to the Lord in his great anguish,
"How long in the belly of Hell must I languish"
"Lord thou hast cast me into the deep,
in the midst of the sea and waves so steep,
the mighty billows closed over my head
as weeds wrapped around and overcome with dread,
I sank to the bottom of the mountains there,
cast out of thy sight, yet Lord if you’ll spare
my life and allow me my soul to regain,
to Your Holy Temple I will look again.
For those who worship lesser gods will lose out
by turning their backs on the only true God about.
But I will make sacrifice and worship thee."
Then God ordered the fish to set Jonah free,
the fish did as it was bid and was promptly sick,
Jonah was spewed out on dry land with a flick.

~o~

A second time Jonah was called by the Lord
and knowing this time he could not afford
to bring about his own destruction
by once more ignoring God’s instruction
"Go preach my Word in Nineveh, they are in a bad way."
and straight away Jonah set off, that very day.

~o~

Jonah preached "In forty days this city will die"
and in God they believed, they knew he didn’t lie;
To a ‘fast,’ and wearing sackcloth, they consented,
no matter what their station in life, they repented.
Then the message reached Nineveh’s King,
he left his throne and did the same thing,
donned sackcloth, and sat in the dirt beneath his feet,
issued a decree, "No water to drink, no food to eat;
Every creature in sackcloth must dress, give up his evil way,
and no more violence now, let everyone pray,
so that God will see and change His mind,
because we’ve changed, He might be kind."
God saw that they had changed their lives,
that now His Word to keep, they would strive,
and so He changed His mind about them
declaring that Nineveh, He would not condemn.

~o~

Jonah took off and left the city,
Expecting to see destruction and having no pity.
Then he saw that God had changed His mind
He got so angry, he was in such a bind;
Then he beseeched the Lord, "Take my life,
it is better I die, I can’t take this strife."
To the east of the city he built a shack
And waited, hoping to see God’s flack;
The Lord prepared a tree for Jonah’s shelter
Of which he was glad, for he began to swelter;
But then the next day, God sent a worm
To attack the tree, it withered, and made Jonah squirm.
Then God sent a hot eastern wind, and in the heat
Jonah fainted, and said "Let me die, I am beat."
God said to him, "You are angry about that tree,
And I am angry too, with thee."
"You took pity on a tree that you did not sow,
for which you did not labour, or grow."
"Therefore, why should I not spare
this great city of Nineveh, this city where
thousands reside, not knowing right from wrong,
where childlike people and innocent cattle throng."