until the Lord sent Jonah there to set
them straight, to tell them they'd know fire and salt
as Sodom and Ghemorrah had before.
The trouble was that Jonah dind't think
it right taht God's compassion surely would
spare them their earned destruction. He then sailed
instead fro Tarshis, thinking maybe God
would have no clue what Jonah maybe had
in mind to do or maybe NOT to do.
So storms beset the ship and Jonah took
a swim to save the frightened crew. He thought
perhaps he'd die and wouldn't have to go
to Nineveh, especially when he
became a sushi treat and found himself
spit out onto the beach at Ninevah!
The Ninevites put Jonah's tunic in
a real twis when they repented once
he'd given them his message from the Lord.
Sore disappointed with the Lord, who blessed
them and this most important city, pleased
that they had heard His word and changed their ways.
Some short way off, sat Jonah sulking. God
asked him, "What right have you to anger over them?"
"I knew that's what you'd do," retorted Jonah.
God made a shrub to grow for Jonah there,
to shade him from the sun, then took it back,
caused it to die, baked Jonah in the heat.
God then admonished Jonah for his pique
about the bush, for Jonah had not cared
for it: lhe had not planted it, nor made
it die; nor had he done for Nineveh
a single thing but tell them what the Lord
had told him to. He had no right to judge,
So who am I to judge? Do I not do
the same? I guess the difference is that I
have not been sushi for a giant fish.