Much to Jonah's dismay, the people of Nineveh repented when they heard his message. "The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth" (Jonah 3:5). The king even responded, issuing a decree to repent (3:6-9). Seeing this response, God "had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened" (3:10).
