Single lesson

Jonah Goes to Nineveh

Jonah 3:1–10

This lesson helps children follow the events in Jonah 3:1–10, notice the choices Jonah and Nineveh make, and see how the passage shows God’s warning, the people’s response, and God’s relenting.

6–10 years30 minutes

Before you teach

In this passage, Yahweh speaks to Jonah again and sends him to Nineveh with a message. Jonah goes and announces that the city will be overthrown in forty days. The people, including the king, respond with fasting, sackcloth, and turning from evil and violence. God sees their works and does not do the disaster he had said.

Learning aim

Students will be able to retell the order of Jonah 3:1–10 and name two human responses and God’s response from the passage.

Welcome: Hear the message again

5 min

Ask children to listen for who speaks, who goes, and what message is given. Explain that this story begins with Yahweh speaking to Jonah a second time and telling him to go to Nineveh and preach the message God gives him. This sets up the whole passage around hearing and responding to God’s word.

Jonah 3:1, Jonah 3:2

Read and explain: Jonah goes and speaks

7 min

Read verses 1–4 aloud. Point out the sequence: Yahweh speaks, Jonah arises, Jonah goes, and Jonah cries out the warning. Explain that Nineveh is called a great city, and Jonah announces, ‘In forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown.’ Keep the focus on the words the passage actually gives.

Jonah 3:1, Jonah 3:2, Jonah 3:3, Jonah 3:4

Discuss: How Nineveh responds

6 min

Read verses 5–9. Help children notice that the people believed God. They proclaimed a fast, put on sackcloth, and the response included both the greatest and the least. The king also humbled himself and called for the city to cry mightily to God and turn from evil and violence.

Jonah 3:5, Jonah 3:6, Jonah 3:7, Jonah 3:8, Jonah 3:9

Make and respond: Put the story in order

8 min

Children make simple sequence cards showing key moments: God speaks to Jonah, Jonah goes, Jonah warns the city, the people believe God, the king responds, and God sees their turning. As they arrange the cards, ask them to match each picture to the action named in the verses.

Jonah 3:1, Jonah 3:3, Jonah 3:4, Jonah 3:5, Jonah 3:6, Jonah 3:10

Closing: What happened because they turned?

4 min

Read verse 10 again and summarise the ending. God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God relented of the disaster he said he would do, and he did not do it. Finish by inviting each child to state one part of the story in order.

Jonah 3:10

Questions to explore

What did Jonah do after Yahweh’s word came to him the second time?

Look for the action words in the passage: Jonah arose, went to Nineveh, and then cried out the message he was given.

Jonah 3:1, Jonah 3:2, Jonah 3:3, Jonah 3:4

How do we know the response in Nineveh was widespread?

The text says the people believed God from the greatest to the least, and it also shows the king joining in and making a proclamation through Nineveh.

Jonah 3:5, Jonah 3:6, Jonah 3:7

What did God see, and what did God do?

Verse 10 says God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way, and then God relented of the disaster and did not do it.

Jonah 3:10

Make, think or respond

Jonah 3 Sequence Cards

What you’ll need

plain paper or card
pencils or textas
scissors
Bible

Try it together

Read Jonah 3:1–10 and list six main actions from the passage.
Draw one simple picture for each action on separate cards.
Mix the cards up and have children place them in the correct order.
Ask children to explain each card using words from the verses.
Review the finished sequence together and name the choices and outcomes in the story.

This activity helps children follow the order of Jonah 3:1–10 and connect each response in the passage with its outcome.

Adapt for your group

For younger children, prepare six picture prompts in advance and let them place the cards in order before explaining them with short phrases from the text.
For older children, ask them to add a short caption with a verse reference on each card and identify which actions belong to Jonah, the people, the king, and God.

An optional closing prayer

‘God, thank you for your word to Jonah and for showing us what happened in Nineveh. Please help us listen carefully to what you say in this passage and respond rightly.’

Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic

Jonah 3

¹ Yahweh’s word came to Jonah the second time, saying,

² “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I give you.”

³ So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to Yahweh’s word. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey across.

⁴ Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried out, and said, “In forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown!”

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

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

⁷ He 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;

⁸ 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.

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

¹⁰ 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.

World English Bible Classic. Public domain.