KJV King James Version
But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that [is] in their hands.
VERSE STUDY • KJV
Jonah 3:8
But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that [is] in their hands.
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
Furthermore, let both man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and have everyone call out earnestly to God. Let each one turn from his evil ways and from the violence in his hands.
WEB World English Bible
but 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.
ASV American Standard Version
but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and beast, and let them cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in his hands.
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
and cover themselves with sackcloth let man and beast, and let them call unto God mightily, and let them turn back each from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
Surrounding context — Jonah 3
5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
6 For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered [him] with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7 And he caused [it] to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:
8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that [is] in their hands.
9 Who can tell [if] God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did [it] not.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
וְיִתְכַּסּ֣וּH3680 · ka.sahto coverשַׂקִּ֗יםH8242 · saqsackclothהָֽאָדָם֙H120 · a.dammanוְהַבְּהֵמָ֔הH929 · be.he.mahanimalוְיִקְרְא֥וּH7121 · qa.rato call: call toאֶל־H413 · elto(wards)אֱלֹהִ֖יםH430 · e.lo.himGodבְּחָזְקָ֑הH2394 · choz.qahforceוְיָשֻׁ֗בוּH7725 · shuvto return: returnאִ֚ישׁH376 · ishmanמִדַּרְכּ֣וֹH1870 · de.rekhway: conductהָֽרָעָ֔הH7451 · rabad: harmfulוּמִן־H4480 · minfromהֶחָמָ֖סH2555 · cha.masviolenceאֲשֶׁ֥רH834 · a.sherwhichבְּכַפֵּיהֶֽם׃H3709 · kaphpalm
Cross-references
Jonah 1:6So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.Isaiah 55:6-7Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:Isaiah 59:6Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works [are] works of iniquity, and the act of violence [is] in their hands.Isaiah 1:16-19Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;Ezekiel 18:21-24But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.Acts 3:19Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;Jonah 1:14Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.Daniel 4:27Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.Isaiah 58:6[Is] not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?Jeremiah 18:11Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.Acts 26:20But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and [then] to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.Ezekiel 33:11Say unto them, [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?Psalm 130:1-2A Song of degrees. Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.Matthew 3:8Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:Ezekiel 18:27-28Again, when the wicked [man] turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.Ezekiel 18:30-32Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn [yourselves] from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
Compare classic commentaries on Jonah 3:8
Put Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Calvin, Wesley, Barnes, Jamieson–Fausset–Brown, Aquinas’ Catena and other public-domain sources beside the passage.
Compare commentaries →