Jonah 3:8 — Meaning and Application

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.

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: {published: Heb. said} {nobles: Heb. great men}

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.

Who can tell {if} God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

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.