Jonah 3 · Grade 4
Who Knows Whether God Will Turn?
Read and Think
Yahweh's word came to Jonah the second time, with the same call: arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I give you. This time Jonah obeyed. Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey across.
Jonah went a day's journey into the city and cried out that in forty days Nineveh would be overthrown. The people of Nineveh believed God. They proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from their greatest even to their least. When the news reached the king, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
The king sent out a decree. No one, not even the animals, should eat or drink. Everyone should cry mightily to God and turn from his evil way and from violence. He said, Who knows whether God will not turn and relent? God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God relented of the disaster he said he would do, and he didn't do it.
Show What You Know
What was different about Jonah the second time?
What two things did the people do to show they were sorry?
What did the king tell everyone to turn from?
Why did God not bring the disaster?
Word Bank Fill-In
Use the word bank to fill in each blank.
- The people of believed God.
- They proclaimed a and put on sackcloth, from their greatest even to their least.
- When the news reached the , he rose from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
- Everyone should cry mightily to and turn from his evil way and from violence.
Think About It
God gave Jonah a second chance. How has God given you a second chance?
The whole city turned from evil, from the king to the least. What does it look like to turn from something wrong?
Memory Verse
“God 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 didn’t do it.”
Jonah 3:10 (WEB)
Copy It
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for giving people a second chance. Help me . Amen.
Take It Home
For families: talk about these together.
- What does it look like to be truly sorry, not just to say sorry?
- How can you show mercy to someone who has wronged you?
Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.