Who hasn't heard of the man who was swallowed by a fish and then spit out again? The work that bears his name is part of world literature. It is understood by every child, while scholars ponder its meaning. We are talking about Jonah. This is the name of a figure in the Old Testament. The same name is given to the text that deals with him, but even more with God's actions and decisions. It is part of the Book of the Twelve Prophets (Minor Prophets). However, Jonah contains no prophecies except for one very brief but consequential one in the city of Nineveh. The message is conveyed more as a prophetic narrative, into which a psalm is embedded. The LORD, the God of Israel and the God of the whole world, is portrayed as being flexible. He can turn back out of compassion and allow grace instead of judgment to prevail.