Nations once again

Nations once again

Now the word of I Am came to Jonah son of Amatai saying 'Get up go! To Ninevah a great city -preach against her wickeness is before me.' But Jonah got up heading for Tarshish finding a ship leaving Joppa. He paid, went on board and they set sail for Tarshish going from I Am. I Am sent a great wind and a storm blew up the sea so violent that the ship would break up. Terrified the sailors cried out to their gods and threw cargo overboard to lighten the ship but Jonah had gone below and slept. The captain sent a sailor who asked 'Why are you sleeping ? Get up and pray to your gods maybe they will listen, we are going to die!' the sailor said 'Lets gamble to find out who caused this disaster/evil ' They cast lots and it indicated Jonah. They asked him 'Tell us what caused this trouble ? Whats your occupation ? Where are you from ? What nationality ?' He answered; 'I'm Hebrew and I Am God of heaven made t, heaahe sea and land.' Terrified in great terror they said to him 'What have you done ?- They knew he was fleeing from I Am because he told them.-They asked him 'What should we do to you so the sea will calm down. He replied 'Pick me up and throw me overboard and the sea will calm down. Its nothing to do with you rather its me that this great storm has come on you.' Instead the rowed but the sea got worse. They cried out 'I Am oh I Am don't let us die for the life of this man don't hold innocent blood against us I Am do what you want' Taking Jonah they threw him into the sea which calmed down from its rage. Fearing with great fear I Am they sacrificed a sacrifice to I Am and made promises. I Am sent a great fish to swallow Jonah. He was inside 3 days and 3 nights. Then Jonah prayed to I Am God from inside the fish saying 'I call in my distress you answered me from the depth of death I crid out you heard my cry. You hurled me into the deep, heart of the sea of currents and waves, rollers, It went over me. I said Gone before you eyes yet I will pray towards your special temple. Sucked down into the throat engulfed, seaweed wrapped around my head down to the roots of the mountains imprisoned by the earth forever. But I Am my God brought my life out of the pit. My life was ebbing away I Am remembered me. I Am send a prayer up to your special temple. Cling to worthless emptiness you will miss his mercy but I will sing a song of amazing , make my promised sacrifice, salvation comes from I Am' I Am commanded the fish to vomit Jonah onto dry land. And the word of I Am came a second time; Get up go! To Ninevah great city and preach the message I give. Jonah got up and went to Ninevah as I Am had said. Ninevah city was important to God. Three days to visit. The first day Jonah started out and preached. He said '40 days and Ninevah will be defeated' the men of Ninevah believed in God, procalimed a fast, put on rags from the greatest to the least. And when the news reached the President of Ninevah he got off his throne, took off his robes and covered himself with rags and sat in the dust. He issued this notice; By order of the President and Officers- Man, beast, flock don't let anything eat or drink. But instead be covered by rags, man and beast and call on God urgently. Give up your evil ways. Refrain from violence. Who knows maybe God willrepent and turn from his anger and be compasionate and merciful' (Hey isn't that what they say in Islam- Bismillah al rakman al rakim ?-Ed) When God saw what they had done turning from evil he did have compassion and God repented of the destruction/evil he had planned to bring on them. He didn't do it. Jonah was not pleased! In fact greatly displeased and angry. He prayed I Am oh I Am isn't this just what I said when I was back home and so I quickly took off to tarshish because I knew that you were gracious and compassionate. (Ed do you think maybe Islam as a religion was here back then?) Slow to anger full of love and repenting of evil/disasters. So now I Am take my life. I'm better dead than alive. But I Am replied. Is you anger right ? Jonah went out of the city sat down eastside making a shelter sat in the shade. (Yes his skin would have sensitive to burning due to being bleached inside a fish-Ed) to see what would happen to the city. I Am provided a vine to grow to give Jonah shade to protect his head abd make it more pleasant. Jonah was happy with the vine, very happy. But then God sent a worm coming at dawn next day chewing the vine so that it withered. When the sun rose Jonah grew faint scorched by the sun and the east wind. 'It 'would be better for me to die than to live' God said to Jonah 'Are you right to be angry about the vine ? You didn't make it grow. It grew overnight and died overnight. But shouldn't I be concerned about the great city of Ninevah. 120,000 people and animals who don't know their left hand from their right?'