The
Lord said unto Jonah,
“To Nineveh now go.”
But
Jonah thought about it,
And to the Lord said, “No!”
He hopped himself a ship,
And took himself a trip
Down to Tarshish,
Down, down, down is
Where all bad men go.
The ship
set sail to Tarshish,
With Jonah safe inside;
Far
from wretched Nineveh
At Tarshish he’d abide.
He’d hopped himself a ship
To take himself a trip
Down to Tarshish,
Down, down, down his
Guilt he still denied.
The Lord
looked down from heaven
Upon the sinful one;
His
guilt the sailors knew not
But God knew what he’d done.
He’d hopped himself a ship
To take himself a trip
Down to Tarshish,
Down, down, down but
God then sent a storm.
The sailors
were all frightened,
The storm was raging high;
Overboard
they threw their wares,
It seemed that they would die.
For one was on the ship
Taking himself a trip
Down to Tarshish
Down, down, down he
From God sought to fly.
The mariners
then cast lots,
To find the guilty one;
The
lots fell on old Jonah
He knew what he had done.
He’d hopped himself a ship
To take himself a trip
Down to Tarshish
Down, down, down from
God he tried to run.
They
tried to save old Jonah,
They rowed with all their might;
But
there was no escaping
For Jonah was not right!
He’d hopped himself a ship
To take himself a trip
Down to Tarshish
Down, down, down he
Now would meet his plight.
The Lord
prepared a great fish
To hold his wayward son;
And
from the fish’s belly
He thought of what he’d done.
He’d hopped himself a ship
To take himself a trip
Down to Tarshish
Down, down, down from
God he’d tried to run.
“I’ve
sinned, forgive me, Father,”
Was his most fervent prayer.
“I’ll
now go to Nineveh
And warn them to beware!
I’ll hop myself a ship
And take myself a trip
I will obey
Thy Blest Command
I’ll give greatest care!”
To Nineveh
he then went
The Holy Word to tell;
Calling
for their repentance
Lest they should go to hell!
“Now take yourself a trip
On Zion’s Holy Ship!
Turn from your sin
Ye wicked men!
In all things do well!”
The people
then repented,
Their lives they turned around;
They
donned sackcloth and ashes
And sat upon the ground.
Then Jonah lost his grip
And backwards he did slip
He’d hoped to see
Them all destroyed
His sin did abound!
When
you learn what you should do
Be careful to obey,
There
is no hope in fleeing
Do not try to delay!
Just hop yourself a ship
And take yourself a trip
To Calvary
And be set free
Come to Him today!
H. L. Gradowith
08-17-01