NET Bible
"Who knows? Perhaps God might be willing to change his mind and relent and turn from his fierce anger so that we might not die.”"
— Jonah 3:9, NET Bible
“Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?”
“Who knoweth whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? ”
“Who knows whether God will not turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?"”
“Who can tell if God will turn, and forgive: and will turn away from his fierce anger, and we shall not perish?”
“Who may say that God will not be turned, changing his purpose and turning away from his burning wrath, so that destruction may not overtake us?”
“Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?”
When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth, and sat on ashes.
He issued a proclamation and said,“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.
Every person and animal must put on sackcloth and must cry earnestly to God, and everyone must turn from their evil way of living and from the violence that they do.
Who knows? Perhaps God might be willing to change his mind and relent and turn from his fierce anger so that we might not die.”
When God saw their actions– that they turned from their evil way of living!– God relented concerning the judgment he had threatened them with and he did not destroy them.