Jonah
Jonah was God’s special prophet;
One stormy day a whale he met.
He had run far, far, far away,
From where he was to be that day.
He had went on a old tough ship
That was now by big waves whipped
But he was tired as the storm broke
And went and snuggled in his cloak
So down in the old ship he slept
While the others on the ship wept
Captain came down him to awake
Call on your god for your own sake
They would cast lots to see just why
The gods wanted them all to die
Up on the deck they cast the lot
Who’s fault was it for what they got?
Then on Jonah the lot did fall
And then and there he told them all
He told them why all was not well
He cried Throw me in the sea swell
So up and out they threw him in
And all at once the storm did dim
But in the sea Jonah did swim
And a fish came swallowing him
In a big fish three days and nights
So dark, slimy, and with no light
So deep down in there he did pray
That God would pardon his wrong way
That fish spat him on the dry land
Onto the soft, hot desert sand
To Nineveh he quickly went
To now do just as God had sent
poem by Joses Tirtabudi
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Related quotes
Bible Stories: Jonah (Part I)
Chapter I:
To Jonah, came the word of God,
The son of Amittai,
“Go to city of Nineveh
And warn them that their wickedness
Has come before the Lord! ”
But Jonah tried to flee from God
And boarded fast a ship;
He paid the fare to reach Tarshish,
To escape from the Lord!
God raised a tempest on the sea
That tried to break the ship;
The mariners got frightened much,
‘Each one cried to his God! ’
They threw the cargo in the sea,
While Jonah lay asleep;
The captain rudely told Jonah,
‘Pray God, we mustn’t perish! ’
They cast lots to detect the one,
Who brought them misfortune;
Poor Jonah turned to be culprit!
They questioned his business.
Then Jonah told them, ’I’m Hebrew,
My God’s the Creator!
He is the God of Heaven, earth,
And made the land and sea.’
When Jonah told he fled the Lord,
The men were seized with fear;
The sea was turning turbulent;
At stake were their lives dear.
So, Jonah told them, ‘Pick me up;
Throw me into the sea;
The storm was on account of me;
Perhaps, it could calm be.
The men rowed hard but saw no land;
The sea grew furious;
They prayed to God to forgive them,
And hurled Jonah in sea!
To their surprise, the sea turned calm;
May be, they did right thing;
They offered sacrifice to God
For, they were struck by fear!
(4-25-2007)
poem by John Celes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Bible Stories: Jonah (Part II)
Chapter 2:
The Lord then sent a mighty fish
That swallowed Jonah whole;
And in its belly dark, he stayed,
For three days and three nights.
And from the belly of the fish,
Jonah prayed to the Lord:
‘In distress great, I call You God:
I cry to You for help! ’
Into the heart of sea, You cast
Me forth and flood covered;
I thought I was forever lost;
Would I see your temple?
The swirling sea threatened my life;
Sea-weeds clung to my head;
I plunged into the sea-abyss;
You brought me from the pit!
A giant fish then gulped me whole,
My soul fainted in me;
I prayed to You for mercy, Lord,
You heard my plaintive voice.
I praised You, Lord with all my heart
And vowed to sacrifice;
Deliver me from fish, O God:
Jonah was spat ashore!
(4-25-2007)
poem by John Celes
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Jonah 180 Degrees Of Misdirection
Jonah an Old Testament prophet
from Galilee his fab story takes place
between years 780 B.C to 760 B.C.
Assyria was a powerful evil nation
Israel’s most dreaded enemy foreign.
The Lord spoke unto Jonah told him
go to Nineveh capital of Assyria
preach to warn sinful Ninevites.
Jonah 1: 2.
Jonah by God’s word commanded
told to warn the Ninevites to repent
or suffer judgement for wickedness.
But Jonah disobeys the will of God
Jonah plots swiftly high tales it out
180 degrees in opposite direction
Jonah boy child brought back to life
resurrected by Elijah the prophet
1 Kings 17: 17-24.
Jonah son of Amittai the son of truth
2 Kings 14: 25.
Jonah departed not to Nineveh but
to Tarshish with motives of what?
poem by Terence George Craddock
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Bible Stories: Jonah (Part III)
Chapter 3:
The word of God to Jonah came,
A second time and said,
‘Set out to Nineveh, announce
The message, I give you! ’
So, Jonah went to Nineveh,
As per the Lord’s command;
It was a very large city;
It took him three full days!
And Jonah walked throughout the place,
And told what God bade him,
‘In forty days more, Nineveh
Shall be a destroyed town! ’
When people heard Jonah’s message,
Their faith in God improved;
Both great and small, they wore sack-cloth,
And fasted much and prayed!
The king too sat in ashes, dressed
In sack-cloth and much prayed;
He decreed that none should eat, drink-
No man or any beast!
They called to God in loud a voice,
And vowed to give up sin;
They hoped that God would forgive them,
And let them not perish.
The Lord was pleased by what they did;
He saw their change of heart;
His wrath was put under the lid,
As Jonah did his part!
(4-25-2007)
poem by John Celes
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We Are Jonah
And the round old fox, stepped up to make his speech
His ship was on the rocks, and rescue out of reach
Spotlit he stood, said what he thought he should
Half the crowd did laugh, though there was no joke
And soon the other half were swallowed up in smoke
A robin on the wing, could be heard to sing, the strangest thing
Grandma, we are jonah
Rolling along in the teeth of a whale
Then the plane did land, for some it did not crash
From it emerged a man, in trainers and moustache
Down he laid his load, upon the heated road
Then the road did part, and the tar did melt
He loosened up his heart, he tightened up his belt
Like a piece of string, then he began to sing, like a pearly king
Grandma, we are jonah
Rolling along in the teeth of a whale
Then the scene did shift, to a sun kissed sea
There was montgomery clift, jonah, the whale and me
As the sun it set, montgomery placed his bet
Then the whale did yawn, and fell asleep in four
From dusk till dawn, you shoul have heard him snore
From tierra-del-fuego, to the alaskan snows... there she blows!
Grandma, we are jonah
Rolling along in the teeth of a whale
My dear old grandma, we are jonah
Rolling along in the teeth of a whale
Grandma
We are jonah, rolling along in the teeth of a whale
song performed by by Waterboys
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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We Are Jonah
And the round old fox, stepped up to make his speech
His ship was on the rocks, and rescue out of reach
Spotlit he stood, said what he thought he should
Half the crowd did laugh, though there was no joke
And soon the other half were swallowed up in smoke
A robin on the wing, could be heard to sing, the strangest thing
Grandma, we are jonah
Rolling along in the teeth of a whale
Then the plane did land, for some it did not crash
From it emerged a man, in trainers and moustache
Down he laid his load, upon the heated road
Then the road did part, and the tar did melt
He loosened up his heart, he tightened up his belt
Like a piece of string, then he began to sing, like a pearly king
Grandma, we are jonah
Rolling along in the teeth of a whale
Then the scene did shift, to a sun kissed sea
There was montgomery clift, jonah, the whale and me
As the sun it set, montgomery placed his bet
Then the whale did yawn, and fell asleep in four
From dusk till dawn, you shoul have heard him snore
From tierra-del-fuego, to the alaskan snows... there she blows!
Grandma, we are jonah
Rolling along in the teeth of a whale
My dear old grandma, we are jonah
Rolling along in the teeth of a whale
Grandma
We are jonah, rolling along in the teeth of a whale
song performed by by Waterboys
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Today... 'Greater than Jonah
Jonah with Jesus could not remotely compare
for none like my Lord Jesus can be found anywhere.
Jonah in his disobedience ran away,
But Jesus in obedience determined to stay.
Into the depths of the sea Jonah was then sent
but into the depths of hell my Saviour went.
For three days under the sea Jonah had to stay
but Jesus in triumph tore the bars of death away.
Jonah cried out to God and from drowning was spared
But my Lord was forsaken and not a soul cared.
Jonah's message to Nineveh was restricted
but my Lords work saved the world as was predicted.
Jesus my Lord and God is far beyond compare
and His glory with another He will not share.
That is why the people on earth heard Him declare
That One much greater than Jonah was standing there.
(see also the additional information in the Poet's notes box)
Jonah
We sail into a calm sea
and are far away from land
when that heavy storm unleashes
with its fury,
but below in the hold I am sleeping
and when I wake
I hear men running up and down
and then one bows over me
with a bright oil lamp in his hands
and the ship jerks with every wave
that slaps against it and others breaking over it
and a hand is stretched out to me
and I am pulled to my feet.
On deck I see thunderbolts
falling everywhere around us and the wind
howls as if it’s mad
and the tiller man shouts pray man pray
and maybe your god will hear you
as we have already prayed and pleaded
and this ship will just now
break under us, into pieces
and the ship creaks, shudders
and tumbles up and down
when the captain asks for a dice
and the lot falls on me
and with the howling wind
and lightings resounding
and the sea that foams wildly
I am thrown into the water
and while I sink and think that now
I am going to drown, I pray and beg for help
and a big fish swallows me,
a really big thing
and then I think that now I am in real jeopardy,
then God takes his decision
and it chucks me out
at Nineveh
I see the light.
poem by Gert Strydom
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Jonah Forced By God Warms Assyrian Nineveh
Jonah an Old Testament prophet
from Galilee his story takes place
between years 780 B.C to 760 B.C.
Assyria was a powerful evil nation
Israel's most dreaded enemy foreign.
The Lord spoke unto Jonah told him
to go to Nineveh capital of Assyria
to preach to warn sinful Ninevites. Jonah 1: 2.
Jonah by God's word commanded
told to warn the Ninevites to repent
or suffer judgement for wickedness.
But Jonah disobeys the will of God
Jonah plots swiftly high tales it out
180 degrees in opposite direction
Jonah boy child brought back to life
resurrected by Elijah the prophet 1 Kings 17: 17-24.
Jonah son of Amittai the son of truth 2 Kings 14: 25.
Jonah departed not to Nineveh but
to Tarshish with motives of what?
Were Jonah's motives fear revenge?
Assyrians had committed terrible
atrocities against the people of Israel
traveling into their midst was terrifying?
Jonah despised hated the Assyrians
desired in his heart for God to punish
Assyria? Jonah knew God's nature.
Jonah knew if repentance he preached
to the Ninevites they would repent?
God would spare them punishment. Jonah 4: 2.
Jonah disobeyed fled toward Tarshish
because he knew God to be gracious
merciful, slow to anger, and abundant
in loving-kindness, regretting calamity.
Jonah knew God would forgive regret
his decision to destroy Nineveh a city
of more than 120,000 men domestic
animals living in spiritual darkness;
not knowing the difference between
their right hand and their left between
good and evil. Jonah by God was forced
to voice God's forty day warning and thus Jonah 3: 1-4.
the king of Nineveh ordered a great fast.
All wore from greatest to the least
sackcloth, none ate nor drank not,
man nor domestic animal; all the men
called to God with strength repented
of bad ways violence of their hands.
God turned back from his burning anger
felt regret spared Nineveh did not perish. Jonah 3: 5-10.
What moral by Jonah's story is taught?
Jonah's story teaches obedience necessary,
without question, to obey the will of God;
taught a willingness of spirit, gratitude,
compassion God's grace patience mercy.
poem by Terence George Craddock
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Bible Stories: Jonah (Part V)
God chooses persons for missions,
Divine in nature, quite strangely;
The prophet Jonah tried to shirk
Away from warning Nineveh.
God taught Jonah, a lesson great;
A mammoth fish swallowed him whole;
When Jonah asked pardon from God,
His life was spared miraculously.
None dare to disobey the Lord;
God guides us do a perfect job;
We ought to live as per His Word;
No righteous souls can devils rob!
As king to subjects, repented,
God spared the city from His rod;
God’s kindness made Jonah bitter;
The ways of God are just and fair!
Our human minds can’t understand
The love of God and His mercy;
God holds His wrath if sinners change
Their hearts from sins to righteous ways!
God’s redemption’s for Jews, Gentiles;
His infinite mercy’s for all;
If Maker wants, He spares the rod;
To man, His acts look rather odd!
God is ready to forgive all
Of mankind’s sins, grievous or small;
His heart of mercy burns with love
To seek more souls for Heav’n above!
poem by John Celes
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Let Her Go Down
Sometime in October
we sailed from England's shore
When we sailed into a raging storm
like I never ever seen before
And all of the crew they were brave men
but the captain he was braver
and he said
"Never mind the ship me boys
There's none of us here can save her"
Let her go down Swim for your lives
Swim for your children swim for your wives
Let her go down Let her go down
Lost in the open ocean
there was some of the crew and me
while the captain steered our wounded ship
to the bottom of an angry sea
And with his dying breath
we all heard him say
"It's just the fortune of sailor"
and he said
"Never mind the ship me boys
There's none of us here can save her"
chorus
He wondered if his shipmates
were ready to just pray and give in
so he called their names out one by one
but there was no one else around but him
He saw the ship go down the fading light
and he knew that they could have saved her
He said
"The captain lied when the captain cried
'There's none of us here can save her' "
chorus
Swim for your lives
Swim for your children swim for your wives
Let her go down Let her go down
Swim for your lives
song performed by by Hollies
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Homeland Africa
Ship ahoi ship ahoi ship ahoi ship ahoi
Ship ahoi ship ahoi ship ahoi ship ahoi
Ship ahoi ship ahoi ship ahoi ship ahoi
Down the ocean a ship comes sailing through the waves
Filled with hundreds of men they take as slaves
Just long for their true homeland africa
And to be saved they want to be free
Men women and babyslaves
Coming to the land of liberty, liberty
Ship ahoi ship ahoi ship ahoi ship ahoi...
They are tired of waiting for a brand new day
Some of them sing and chant some of them pray
And some men got a little tired too
No one knows if the journey pay
Men women and babyslaves
Coming to the land of liberty, liberty
Ship ahoi ship ahoi ship ahoi ship ahoi...
song performed by by Boney M.
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Assyrian City Nineveh Repents
Jonah disobeyed fled toward Tarshish
because knowing God to be gracious
merciful, slow to anger, and abundant
in loving-kindness, regretting calamity.
Jonah knew God would forgive regret
his decision to destroy Nineveh a city
of more than 120,000 men domestic
animals living in spiritual darkness;
not knowing the difference between
their right hand and their left; between
good and evil. Jonah by God was forced
to voice God’s forty day warning and thus
Jonah 3: 1-4.
the king of Nineveh ordered a great fast.
All wore from greatest to the least
sackcloth, none ate nor drank not,
man nor domestic animal; all the men
called to God with strength repented
of bad ways violence of their hands.
God turned back from his burning anger
felt regret spared Nineveh did not perish.
Jonah 3: 5-10.
What moral by Jonah’s story is taught?
Jonah’s story teaches obedience necessary,
without question, to obey the will of God;
taught a willingness of spirit, gratitude,
compassion God’s grace patience mercy.
poem by Terence George Craddock
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Jonah
A purple whale
Proudly sweeps his tail
Towards Nineveh;
Glassy green
Surges between
A mile of roaring sea.
“O town of gold,
Of splendour multifold,
Lucre and lust,
Leviathan’s eye
Can surely spy
Thy doom of death and dust.”
On curving sands
Vengeful Jonah stands.
“Yet forty days,
Then down, down,
Tumbles the town
In flaming ruin ablaze.”
With swift lament
Those Ninevites repent.
They cry in tears,
“Our hearts fail!”
The whale, the whale!
Our sins prick us like spears.”
Jonah is vexed;
He cries, “What next? what next?”
And shakes his fist.
“Stupid city,
The shame, the pity,
The glorious crash I’ve missed.”
Away goes Jonah grumbling,
Murmuring and mumbling;
Off ploughs the purple whale,
With disappointed tail.
poem by Robert Graves
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Jonah’s Motives Were Destruction Of Nineveh
To Tarshish with motives of what?
Were Jonah’s motives fear revenge?
Assyrians had committed terrible
atrocities against the people of Israel
traveling into their midst was terrifying?
Jonah despised hated the Assyrians
desired in his heart for God to punish
Assyria? Jonah knew God’s nature.
Jonah knew if repentance he preached
to the Ninevites they would repent?
God would spare them punishment.
Jonah 4: 2.
Jonah disobeyed fled toward Tarshish.
poem by Terence George Craddock
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Tell me a story,
Tell me a story, And what I want to hear,
About a king in the Bible, of Saul and his spear;
He wanted to kill David, but David spared his life,
While Saul was asleep, David took the jug, spear, to show
Saul that he was near.
Please tell me a story, Of Esther the Jewish queen,
And of uncle mordecai, and Haman who was mean;
Wicked Haman hated, the Jews, and wanted them dead,
But he got his punishment, to be hung by his head.
Tell me another story, of Jonah and the whale,
When God said 'go to Ninevah, he needed a kick in his tale;
He ran the other way, then caught a large ship,
But; when a storm blew up, but he got the flip.
Tell me one more story, before I get off to bed,
How Jesus talked to a crowd, and food they were fed;
There were 5,000 people, and only 5 loaves, and two fish,
It was a miracle of Jesus, and not just an answer to a wish.
poem by Margaret Haig
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Do They Know It's Christmas
It's Christmas time
There's no need to be afraid
At Christmas time
We let in light and we banish shade
(Jonah doing Boy George)
And in our world of plenty
We can spread a smile of joy
Throw your arms around the world
At Christmas time
(Jonah doing George Michael)
But say a prayer
Pray for the other ones
At Christmas time it's hard
(Chino doing Simon LeBon)
But when you're having fun
There's a world outside your window
(Jonah doing George Michael joins in)
And it's a world of dread and fear
Where the only water flowing is
(Jonah doing Bono joins in)
The bitter sting of tears
(Jonah doing Bono)
And the Christmas bells that are ringing
Are clanging chimes of doom
Well, tonight thank God it's them instead of you.
(Jonah) And there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time.
The greatest gift they'll get this year is life
(Chino) Oh-oh
(Jonah) Where nothing ever grows
No rain or rivers flow
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?
(Grady)Here's to you
(Jonah)raise a glass for everyone
(Grady)Here's to them
(Jonah)underneath that burning sun
(Everyone)Do they know it's Christmas time at all?
Chorus (Everyone)
Feed the world
Feed the world
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time again
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time again
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time again
song performed by by Deftones
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Jonah-Woman
Who are these white-capped jesters...and jackals
Who have placed me in the belly of a
White death-stinking fish?
Not this time, not Jonah-time fish.
Not walking out safe from Jonah's fish. No.
Not this time.
The jesters and tittering hyenas, with their night-lumin
Eyes, who tiptoe soft through the loud-hinged door...
And shut it quietly-quick behind them.
They are breathing to find me.
They safari hunt for me...beating the bush-room.
Mine. I am hiding in the pillow, in the chest of drawers,
In the air.
They can't find me with their needles and needle-quick
Pills.
The rancid, disinfected fish is down the hall, around the
Corner...on the ceilings.
I can sense death rattles...quick as goodbye from
Yesterday. The fish swallows the soft, noisy passage.
The fish is Hill House. The fish is the jackals' den.
The fish, with no fins, rummages the halls, airborne,
Hovering on moon-shadowed winds.
A scream, a gurgle, the fish forgets me for the moment.
The jesters still seek, seethe. They have other work now.
Something is wrong.
Something is amiss in Heaven.
They have placed me in a room with no art.
There is someone at the door...snuffling dog noises.
Who are you that you do not answer me?
The dog has gone. I think it has gone...but I do not think
It was a dog.
They have taken everything. Even the name of my Father...
Given it to the jackals. This, my scent.
They seethe out of their fish-den, carefully stepping over
It's teeth. Man-shark teeth. Death teeth.
They walk with needles balanced on a tray...rainbow pills
In teensy, little cups...watch me to make sure I've swallowed
The rainbow.
Something is my God wrong.
Something should not be happening.
I cannot walk out of this vile fish...like Jonah. I cannot go
Past it's teeth. I am afraid...more of a coward.
Even your God cannot help me now.
I fear the teeth will SNAP! shut when I'm half-way through the
Opening.
Will anyone care if the jackals laugh, lapping my blood...
While I walk away from a white death-fish?
Walking home.
Walking alone.
poem by Elysabeth Faslund
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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{{{ A Special Fish For Me? }}}
Yes there are many fish out in the sea,
but why can't I find one that will
best suit me,
well, I mean the fish in the sea are free,
yet all I keep doing is coming up is empty,
I start to believe,
then I begin to see, that, well, there just isn't one out there for me.
I go down to the sea, and I just look around,
well, again, there are no fortunate fish to be found!
Everyday I still continue to go down by the sea and sit down on the sand,
I look across the ocean and wonder is there another kind of
land to see,
to be able to relax and not have to act on command?
There is a fish for me,
because this is the way I was told it IS to be,
there has just gotta be that
special fish for me!
poem by Linda I. Weischedel
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The Ship Called Christianity!
Christianity, a ship afree,
Is found tossing upon the sea!
Upon the deck, there’s mutiny;
No bond of love but just envy.
Selfishness, no humility;
No amity, just enmity;
The fish around, none can well see;
And the sea appears too stormy!
The nets are old, tattered fully,
Fishes don’t come up properly;
The ship moving unsafely;
Jesus is forgotten truly!
Lost are precious time, energy;
Forgotten is sense of duty;
No fishes caught yet revelry;
Ship’s in waters of piracy!
Rescue the ship, O God, we pray;
And be its captain, night and day;
Steer it safely and show the way;
With nets o’er-laden, reach the bay.
Copyright by Dr John Celes 21-09-2010
poem by John Celes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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