Jonah, Jonah Was a Prophet

This fun song might be a good way to teach the story of Jonah. The music for the song is the old Newfoundland folk tune, "Jack Was Every Inch a Sailor".

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JONAH, JONAH WAS A PROPHET

Words: David Kai ©1999 (rev. 2023)

Tune: Traditional (Jack Was Every Inch a Sailor)

Well Jonah heard the call of God and knew that he was sent

“Go preach to Nineveh and tell them that they must repent”

But Jonah hated Nineveh and much to God’s dismay

He got on board a sailing ship and went the other way

Chorus:

Oh Jonah, Jonah was a prophet

Got the job and couldn’t doff it

Jonah, Jonah was a prophet

Ran away across the bright, blue sea.

They ran into a storm and all the cookies, they got tossed*

It got so rough it seemed as though the minion would be lost

They found that Jonah was the cause, and tossed him in the gale

And he was swept into the sea and swallowed by a whale

That whale took off for Nineveh, a hundred knots per hour

For three long days well Jonah wished that he could have a shower

It finally spit him up upon the shore just like a cod

And so this fishy prophet finally did the will of God

So Jonah preached at Nineveh, and how they did repent

They put on such a show that God decided to relent

Was Jonah pleased that they were saved? No, not a little bit

He turned his back on Nineveh and walked off in a snit

God sent a plant to shelter Jonah from the burning sun

But t’wasn’t long before its growing days were past and gone

So Jonah sulked some more, but God said, “Jonah, ain’t that grand?

You want to save a plant, but not the people of this land.”

*obviously referring to the supplies the sailors threw overboard to lighten the ship (Jonah 1: 5)