Today's Reading

¹Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

²"Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim against it, for their wickedness has come up before me."

³But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

⁴But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty storm on the sea, so that the ship was likely to break up.

⁵Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten it. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the ship, and he was laying down, and was fast asleep.

⁶So the shipmaster came to him, and said to him, "What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God! Maybe your God will notice us, so that we won't perish."

⁷They all said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is on us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.

⁸Then they asked him, "Tell us, please, for whose cause this evil is on us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? Of what people are you?"

⁹He said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land."

¹⁰Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said to him, "What is this that you have done?" For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.

¹¹Then said they to him, "What shall we do to you, that the sea may be calm to us?" For the sea grew more and more stormy.

¹²He said to them, "Take me up, and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will be calm for you; for I know that because of me this great storm is on you."

¹³Nevertheless the men rowed hard to get them back to the land; but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy against them.

¹⁴Therefore they cried to the Lord, and said, "We beg you, Lord, we beg you, let us not perish for this man's life, and do not lay on us innocent blood; for you, Lord, have done as it pleased you."

¹⁵So they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging.

¹⁶Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord, and made vows.

¹⁷The Lord prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

¹Then Jonah prayed to the Lord, his God, out of the fish's belly.

²He said, "I called because of my affliction to the Lord. He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried. You heard my voice.

³For you threw me into the depths, in the heart of the seas. The flood was all around me. All your waves and your billows passed over me.

⁴I said, 'I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.'

⁵The waters surrounded me, even to the soul. The deep was around me. The weeds were wrapped around my head.

⁶I went down to the bottoms of the mountains. The earth barred me in forever: yet have you brought up my life from the pit, Lord my God.

⁷"When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord. My prayer came in to you, into your holy temple.

⁸Those who regard lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

⁹But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation belongs to the Lord."

¹⁰The Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah on the dry land.

¹The word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying,

²"Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I give you."

³So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey across.

⁴Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried out, and said, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"

⁵The people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.

⁶The news reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

⁷He made a proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, "Let neither man nor animal, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, nor drink water;

⁸but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and animal, and let them cry mightily to God. Yes, let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in his hands.

⁹Who knows whether God will not turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?"

¹⁰God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God relented of the disaster which he said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

¹The elder to Gaius the beloved, whom I love in truth.

²Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be healthy, even as your soul prospers.

³For I rejoiced greatly, when brothers came and testified about your truth, even as you walk in truth.

⁴I have no greater joy than this, to hear about my children walking in truth.

⁵Beloved, you do a faithful work in whatever you accomplish for those who are brothers and strangers.

⁶They have testified about your love before the church. You will do well to send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God,

⁷because for the sake of the Name they went out, taking nothing from the pagans.

⁸We therefore ought to receive such, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

⁹I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say.

¹⁰Therefore, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words. Not content with this, neither does he himself receive the brothers, and those who would, he forbids and throws out of the church.

¹¹Beloved, do not imitate that which is evil, but that which is good. He who does good is of God. He who does evil hasn't seen God.

¹²Demetrius has the testimony of all, and of the truth itself; yes, we also testify, and you know that our testimony is true.

¹³I had many things to write to you, but I am unwilling to write to you with ink and pen;

¹⁴but I hope to see you soon, and we will speak face to face. Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.

¹⁵

¹Wine is a mocker, and beer is a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

²The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion. He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.

³It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife; but every fool will be quarreling.

⁴The sluggard will not plow by reason of the winter; therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing.

⁵Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.

⁶Many men claim to be men of unfailing love, but who can find a faithful man?

⁷A righteous man walks in integrity. Blessed are his children after him.

⁸A king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes.

⁹Who can say, "I have made my heart pure. I am clean and without sin?"

¹⁰Differing weights and differing measures, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.

¹¹Even a child makes himself known by his doings, whether his work is pure, and whether it is right.

¹²The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, The Lord has made even both of them.

¹³Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty. Open your eyes, and you shall be satisfied with bread.

¹⁴"It's no good, it's no good," says the buyer; but when he is gone his way, then he boasts.

¹⁵There is gold and abundance of rubies; but the lips of knowledge are a rare jewel.

¹⁶Take the garment of one who puts up collateral for a stranger; and hold him in pledge for a wayward woman.

¹⁷Fraudulent food is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth is filled with gravel.

¹⁸Plans are established by advice; by wise guidance you wage war!

¹⁹He who goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets; therefore do not keep company with him who opens wide his lips.

²⁰Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness.

²¹An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning, won't be blessed in the end.

²²Do not say, "I will pay back evil." Wait for the Lord, and he will save you.

²³The Lord detests differing weights, and dishonest scales are not pleasing.

²⁴A man's steps are from the Lord; how then can man understand his way?

²⁵It is a snare to a man to make a rash dedication, then later to consider his vows.

²⁶A wise king winnows out the wicked, and drives the threshing wheel over them.

²⁷The spirit of man is the Lord's lamp, searching all his innermost parts.

²⁸Love and faithfulness keep the king safe. His throne is sustained by love.

²⁹The glory of young men is their strength. The splendor of old men is their gray hair.

³⁰Wounding blows cleanse away evil, and beatings purge the innermost parts.