3:5 The people 1 of Nineveh believed in God, 2 and they declared a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 3 3:6 When the news 4 reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth, and sat on ashes. 3:7 He issued a proclamation and said, 5 “In Nineveh, by the decree of the king and his nobles: No human or animal, cattle or sheep, is to taste anything; they must not eat and they must not drink water. 3:8 Every person and animal must put on sackcloth and must cry earnestly 6 to God, and everyone 7 must turn from their 8 evil way of living 9 and from the violence that they do. 10 3:9 Who knows? 11 Perhaps God might be willing to change his mind and relent 12 and turn from his fierce anger 13 so that we might not die.” 14