Bible story · Jonah 1–3

Jonah and the Big Fish

Jonah runs from God, is swallowed by a great fish, and gets a second chance. A 2-minute animated story, told simply for children and families, with each verse from the King James Version.

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1 of 8

God told Jonah to go to the great city of Nineveh and warn the people to stop doing wicked things. But Jonah didn’t want to go.

Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
Jonah 1:2 KJV

2 of 8

So Jonah ran the other way. He got on a ship sailing to Tarshish, as far from Nineveh as he could go.

But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
Jonah 1:3 KJV

3 of 8

Out at sea, God sent a great wind. A terrible storm tossed the ship, and the sailors were afraid it would break apart.

But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.
Jonah 1:4 KJV

4 of 8

Jonah knew the storm was because of him. “Throw me into the sea,” he said, “and it will be calm.” So they did, and the sea stopped raging.

So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
Jonah 1:15 KJV

5 of 8

God sent a great fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.

Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah 1:17 KJV

6 of 8

Inside the fish, Jonah prayed. He thanked God for saving him and promised to do what God asked.

But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
Jonah 2:9 KJV

7 of 8

Then God spoke to the fish, and it spat Jonah out onto dry land.

And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
Jonah 2:10 KJV

8 of 8

This time Jonah obeyed. He went to Nineveh and gave God’s warning. The people were sorry and turned from their wicked ways, and God forgave them.

And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
Jonah 3:10 KJV

The end

Next story: The Birth of Jesus

What does this story teach?

We can’t run away from God. He is everywhere.
God gives second chances, to Jonah and to Nineveh.
God cares about everyone, even people we might not like.
It is never too late to say sorry and turn back to God.

Questions to talk about

Use these with your children after the story, at bedtime, at the table or in a class.

Why do you think Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh?
What did Jonah do inside the fish?
How did God give Jonah a second chance?
Who is someone God might want you to be kind to?

Read the story in the Bible

This retelling uses simple words for young readers. Read the full account in Jonah 1–3, one verse per screen:

Jonah 1 Jonah 2 Jonah 3

Frequently asked questions

Where is the story of Jonah in the Bible?

The book of Jonah is in the Old Testament, among the minor prophets. The storm and the great fish are in chapters 1 and 2, Nineveh’s repentance is in chapter 3, and chapter 4 tells how God taught Jonah about his mercy.

Was it a whale or a fish that swallowed Jonah?

Jonah 1:17 says God prepared “a great fish.” In Matthew 12:40 the King James Version translates Jesus’ words as “the whale’s belly,” which is why many people call it Jonah and the whale.

How long was Jonah in the fish?

Three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17). Jesus later pointed to this as a sign of his own death and resurrection in Matthew 12:40.

What is the lesson of Jonah?

God is merciful and gives second chances. He forgave Jonah when he ran away, and he forgave the people of Nineveh when they turned from their wickedness (Jonah 3:10).

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