Jonah 3:6

⁴ On the first day of his journey, Jonah set out into the city and proclaimed, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned!”

⁵ And the Ninevites believed God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least.

When word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

⁷ Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let no man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything at all. They must not eat or drink.

⁸ 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.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: When word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
KJV: 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.
WEB: 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.
ASV: And the tidings reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
DARBY: And the word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and laid his robe from him, and covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
BLB: And this word reached to the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne and passed off his royal clothing from him, and he covered himself with sackcloth and sat upon the ashes.

ÅB: Da saken kom for Ninives konge, sto han opp fra sin trone og la sin kappe av seg og svøpte sekk om seg og satte seg i asken.
OTB: Da nyheten nådde kongen av Ninive, reiste han seg fra tronen, tok av seg sin kongelige kappe, dekket seg med sekkestrie og satte seg i støvet.
B1930: Da saken kom for Ninives konge, stod han op fra sin trone og la sin kappe av sig og svøpte sekk om sig og satte sig i asken.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

James 4:6–10
But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Read in context
Esther 4:1–4
When Mordecai learned of all that had happened, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.
Read in context
Job 2:8
And Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself as he sat among the ashes.
Read in context
Daniel 9:3
So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petition, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
Read in context
Luke 10:13
Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
Read in context
Ezekiel 27:30–31
They will raise their voices for you and cry out bitterly. They will throw dust on their heads and roll in ashes.
Read in context
Jeremiah 6:26
O daughter of my people, dress yourselves in sackcloth and roll in ashes. Mourn with bitter wailing, as you would for an only son, for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.
Read in context
Matthew 11:21
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
Read in context