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Jonah & The Beast II · The Chosen People

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Previously on The Chosen People.
• 0:03
  Speaker 2: Jonah. You shall go to Nineveh to preach against their wickedness.
• 0:10
  Speaker 2: Warn them. Call them to repentance.
• 0:17
  Speaker 3: What?
• 0:18
  Speaker 4: No. No.
• 0:19
  Speaker 3: Of course not. You have the wrong man.
• 0:22
  Speaker 5: Never.
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: Jonah approached the docks of Joppa with a small pack
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: around his shoulders. It took some searching to find a
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: ship sailing far enough away to widen the distance between
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: Jonah and God. Thunder crashed above, shaking timbers and bones alike.
• 0:42
  Speaker 2: Who are you?
• 0:43
  Speaker 3: Why has this evil befallen us?
• 0:46
  Speaker 5: Speak, stranger!
• 0:47
  Speaker 3: From where have you come? And what madness have you
• 0:50
  Speaker 3: brought upon my sheep? I'm a Hebrew.
• 0:54
  Speaker 6: Your gods, they rule the sea or the earth or
• 0:58
  Speaker 6: the skies.
• 0:59
  Speaker 5: But my God, my God commands all of them.
• 1:03
  Speaker 6: He made the sea and the wind and he made
• 1:06
  Speaker 6: the land.
• 1:06
  Speaker 4: And it's from him I flee.
• 1:11
  Speaker 3: But he has found me.
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: With grim determination, they seized Jonah, lifted him above their heads,
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: and with cries of anguish, cast him into the raging waters.
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: Something immense, ancient, and terrible drew near, its great jaws agape,
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: and then the jaws snapped shut, and Jonah was swallowed whole,
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: sealed within a tomb of scales and darkness, lost to
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: the world and the heavens alike.
• 1:47
  Speaker 5: I'm sorry, Lord.
• 1:49
  Speaker 4: I was wrong.
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: In one fierce moment, he was expelled from his watery tomb,
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: cast upward.
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: Arise, Jonah. Go to Nineveh.
• 2:07
  Speaker 5: Is it too late to return to the fish?
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: King Sennacherib jolted awake, breathless and shaking, sweat dripping down
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: his brow like oil. His heart pounded in his chest,
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: each thump echoing loudly in his ears. The nightmare clung
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: to him, dark and haunting, the images refusing to fade.
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: The city of Nineveh was burning. Screams pierced the smoke-filled air,
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: and a voice, terrible and clear, was.
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: Calling him to account. Just a dream.
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: The king of Nineveh swung his legs from the silken bed,
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: grimacing as his feet brushed against overturned goblets and shattered jars.
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: The scent of wine, sweat and lingering pleasures turned bitter
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: in his nostrils. His head throbbed, punishing him for the
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: sins of the previous night. He rose slowly, shivering despite
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: the heavy heat, the chill of the dream still gripping
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: his bones. Stepping carefully, he moved into the corridor, robes
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: hanging loosely around him, trailing through the filth-stained floors. The
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: marble halls, so majestic in daylight, were now littered with
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: empty wine vessels, spilled plates, and sleeping bodies tangled in
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: drunken embrace. The king stepped over naked men and women,
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: breathing shallowly to avoid their stench. He reached the throne
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: room and paused, taking in the scene with tired eyes.
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: He saw flashes of his dream before his eyes, a
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: burning throne. Shattered pillars falling on prostitutes and nobles. The
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: echoes of screams filled his ears. The king shook his
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: head and splashed water on his face. Only one guard
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: stood awake, Kudiri. He was leaning heavily against a pillar,
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: eyes heavy from standing watch as the revelries went into
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: the morning hours. He startled as the king approached, hastily
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: straightening himself, hands fumbling nervously.
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: My king, I didn't expect you to rise so early.
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: Is something wrong?
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: The king stared past him, eyes distant, haunted.
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: Just a dream. A terrible dream.
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: The guard hesitated, wary, but the king waved him forward
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: impatiently I.
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: Saw Nineveh burn.
• 4:44
  Speaker 3: I saw streets filled with corpses, palaces crumbling to ash.
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: A voice spoke to me. What did the voice say?
• 4:56
  Speaker 3: You have forty days and forty days only. After that,
• 5:00
  Speaker 3: your mighty city shall be overthrown.
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: The guard shifted nervously. glancing around as if the walls
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: themselves might hear.
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: Just a nightmare, my lord. The wine... No!
• 5:13
  Speaker 3: This was not wine's deception.
• 5:16
  Speaker 2: This was a warning. A vision.
• 5:20
  Speaker 3: And it was not from Asher.
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: It was from an unknown god.
• 5:25
  Speaker 3: A god more powerful than Asher.
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: The king sank into his throne, suddenly weary. eyes hollow
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: as he gazed upon his ruined hall. The guard stood awkwardly, uncertain,
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: unable to comfort or counsel his troubled lord.
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: Something is stirring, Kadiri.
• 5:45
  Speaker 3: Like a stone being thrown into a pond. I want
• 5:52
  Speaker 3: you and your men to survey the city today. Be
• 5:55
  Speaker 3: on the lookout for anything strange. And send word to
• 5:59
  Speaker 3: my council. Bring them swiftly. I want them all prepared.
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: Prepared for what, my lord?
• 6:08
  Speaker 3: Judgment.
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: Jonah lay upon the shore, motionless as driftwood. Waves gently
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: brushed his feet, cool and mocking, a reminder of the
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: darkness he had barely escaped. His body ached, his skin
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: was raw and scarred, stinging from days spent steeped in
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: the bile and acid. But he was alive, sort of.
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: Jonah took a shallow breath, pleased not to have his
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: nostrils filled again with the rancid odour of rotten fish.
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: He laughed bitterly to himself. a quiet, humorless sound lost
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: amid the whispers of the tide. The Lord had already
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: spoken once. Jonah pretended to be too disoriented to hear him. So,
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: in his patience and mercy, the Lord spoke again.
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: Rise, Jonah. Go to Nineveh, that mighty city. Warn them
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: that judgment comes swiftly if they refuse to turn from
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: their wicked ways.
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: Jonah groaned, rolling onto his side. The salt water hadn't
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: been enough to quench Jonah's hatred toward the Assyrians. He
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: despised them, and with good reason. Their savagery had claimed
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: countless lives, and mercy seemed wasted on such creatures. Jonah
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: spat into the sand, tasting bile and bitterness.
• 7:41
  Speaker 5: Nineveh, mercy wasted on dogs, pearls cast before swine.
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: Yet Jonah knew better now. No man could flee from God.
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: His own scars were proof enough of that truth. The
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: Almighty had dragged him from the abyss and cast him
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: onto shore, demanding obedience. Jonah sighed heavily, pushing himself up
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: from the sand. The wind tugged at his tattered robes
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: and he stood there, weary and bitterly amused by the
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: absurdity of it all.
• 8:16
  Speaker 6: Fine.
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: Have it your way.
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: With heavy steps, he turned away from the sea, setting
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: forth reluctantly on the road inland. He knew exactly what
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: would happen. Nineveh would mock him, threaten him, perhaps kill him.
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: He cursed under his breath, bitter laughter trailing behind him
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: as he marched forward.
• 8:39
  Speaker 5: Ninevites are incapable of change. They're stubborn and bitter people.
• 8:44
  Speaker 5: They don't listen.
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: The irony was lost on Jonah as he trudged inland
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: beneath the scorching sun. For three long days, Jonah dragged
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: his feet along the road. He muttered and cursed to himself,
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: pausing only to wipe the sweat from his brow, his
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: robe sticking uncomfortably to his wounded skin. The city of
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: Nineveh loomed ahead, vast and forbidding, a sprawling maze of towers,
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: stone walls and teeming streets. At last he reached the
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: gates of Nineveh, massive and black, forged of iron and
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: darkened stone. Guards eyed him suspiciously as he passed beneath
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: their shadow, but Jonah paid them no heed. He strode
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: boldly into the city, breathing heavily from exhaustion and resentment alike.
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: The streets were choked with crowds. Traders shouted over one another,
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: merchants haggling fiercely for silver and spice. Soldiers pushed roughly
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: through the throng, beating thieves and beggars with ruthless indifference.
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: Jonah caught glimpses of painted women leaning from brothel doorways,
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: smiles seductive and empty, beckoning eager young fools to ruin.
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: Jonah's disgust deepened with each step. His jaw tightened as
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: anger simmered behind his eyes.
• 10:16
  Speaker 5: Debauchery and cruelty, they'll never change. Ninevites are born wicked
• 10:21
  Speaker 5: and die wicked. God's a fool to waste mercy.
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: On such filth.
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: Jonah knew better than to disobey. If he fled now,
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: the Lord would likely find him again, snatching him up
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: with a giant pigeon or turning him into a donkey.
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: As much as Jonah wanted to flee, he wouldn't. He
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: moved deeper into the city's heart, where beggars and nobles
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: bumped shoulders and where guards and prostitutes.
• 10:46
  Speaker 2: Could hear him.
• 10:48
  Speaker 5: People of Nineveh!
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: A few perked up, but most of them continued their business.
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: They were accustomed to madmen babbling in the streets. Jonah
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: considered what he must have looked like. Dried kelp was
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: caked onto his tunic and he smelled of fish guts.
• 11:05
  Speaker 4: You have forty days, and forty days only. After that,
• 11:10
  Speaker 4: your mighty city shall be overthrown.
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: He spat the words like venom. Jonah felt no pity.
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: One of the guards perked up at the words, inching
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: closer in curiosity. Was this the message the king had
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: spoken of?
• 11:28
  Speaker 5: Forty days!
• 11:30
  Speaker 4: Enjoy your pleasures while they last, fools.
• 11:33
  Speaker 5: Your judgment is near.
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: Jonah had said what he needed to say. Pleased with
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: the job not so well done, Jonah hopped off the
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: platform and brushed his hands.
• 11:45
  Speaker 4: There, the prophet of Yahweh has spoken.
• 11:48
  Speaker 5: My work here is done.
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: Jonah took a step toward the gate, but was immediately
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: tackled by a group of guards. The one in charge
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: marched swiftly and knelt down to Jonah.
• 12:00
  Speaker 3: Who sent you?
• 12:01
  Speaker 4: Uh.
• 12:02
  Speaker 5: The Lord of Heaven and Earth? The God of Israel?
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: And your God told you to come here?
• 12:09
  Speaker 5: Yes, despite my qualms with the idea.
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: The captain of the guard nodded to his men, and
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: they immediately released him. Jonah rolled his shoulders back and
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: straightened his tunic, a vain attempt, as it was crusty
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: with dried fish bile and kelp.
• 12:26
  Speaker 3: Please, if you are a prophet, you must come with
• 12:29
  Speaker 3: me to share your message with the king.
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: He will want to hear what else you have to say.
• 12:33
  Speaker 5: No, I've said all I need to say.
• 12:36
  Speaker 4: Your city is wicked and a scorch on the entire planet.
• 12:41
  Speaker 4: The creator of the universe would be wise to flick
• 12:45
  Speaker 4: you off the map like a gnat.
• 12:47
  Speaker 2: Is there any way for us to atone?
• 12:51
  Speaker 5: I sure hope not. Now, if I'm not being arrested,
• 12:54
  Speaker 5: I'd very much like to leave. I don't want to
• 12:57
  Speaker 5: be around here when this place is turned to sulfur
• 12:59
  Speaker 5: and ash.
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: Kudari and his guards parted for Jonah, afraid of what
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: might happen if they touched him again. Jonah, somewhat pleased
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: with himself, skulked off and out of the city. Kudari
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: grabbed one of his men with panicked eyes.
• 13:15
  Speaker 7: We need to notify the king of what has happened now!
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: King Sennacherib paced the throne room floor as Kudari relayed
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: Jonah's prophetic warning. Forty days. That's all Nineveh had to
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: repent and make right with the Lord.
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: But how?
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: They knew little about Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: The king of Nineveh shook his head in flustered disbelief.
• 13:44
  Speaker 3: And the prophet just left?
• 13:45
  Speaker 2: No guidance?
• 13:46
  Speaker 3: No sacred text or pearl of wisdom to offer us?
• 13:51
  Speaker 2: No, my king. The man left unconcerned with how we
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: responded to his message.
• 13:57
  Speaker 5: Ah.
• 14:01
  Speaker 3: Then we're on our own. Find me everything you can
• 14:05
  Speaker 3: on this God of Israel. I want scrolls. I want teachers.
• 14:11
  Speaker 3: I want any merchant who's traveled to Jerusalem. We haven't
• 14:14
  Speaker 3: much time.
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: Kudari and the king's council bowed their heads and got
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: to work. Jonah savored the last inch of wine left
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: in his cup. He never thought he'd taste it again.
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: He placed the last bite of bread in his mouth
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: and savored it without chewing. He had gone days without eating,
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: and had only managed to pay for a meal because
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: two vagrants dropped a coin while pummeling each other to death.
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: Jonah was pleased to profit off their stupidity.
• 14:47
  Speaker 5: Now that I have a bit of strength in these hips,
• 14:50
  Speaker 5: it's time to get going.
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: Jonah wanted Nineveh behind him. Violence lurked around every street corner.
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: He was lucky to look so dishevelled and disgusting, or
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: else he might have been victim to the dozens of
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: muggings happening on every block. He exited the tavern, then
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: quickly staggered back when a stampede of people nearly knocked
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: him over. They were all headed to the palace courtyards,
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: where the king had summoned them for a royal decree.
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: Curiosity got the better of Jonah. He meandered through the alleyways,
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: content to watch from the shadows. Jonah's head cocked to
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: the side when he saw the king emerge from the
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: palace doors. King Sennacherib, often called the priest of pigs
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: among Hebrews, was completely covered in sackcloth. He stepped down
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: from the high place and knelt in the dust. His voice,
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: powerful and magnetic, spoke with sorrow and genuine contrition.
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: People of Nineveh!
• 15:52
  Speaker 7: A prophecy has reached out streets and ascended to the
• 15:55
  Speaker 7: heights of my palace.
• 15:57
  Speaker 3: A prophecy of warning, of judgment.
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: The people shifted uncomfortably, Jonah among them.
• 16:04
  Speaker 7: We have sought out to know this God, his ways,
• 16:08
  Speaker 7: his nature, to stave off judgment and to right the
• 16:13
  Speaker 7: wrongs we've inflicted upon the world. I hereby make a
• 16:17
  Speaker 7: royal decree.
• 16:19
  Speaker 5: You've got to be kidding me.
• 16:21
  Speaker 7: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything.
• 16:26
  Speaker 7: Do not let them eat or drink.
• 16:29
  Speaker 3: We shall fast as a.
• 16:31
  Speaker 7: Nation, purging ourselves from indulgence and.
• 16:36
  Speaker 2: The arrogance of riches.
• 16:39
  Speaker 3: Riches we've gained through warfare and bloodshed.
• 16:44
  Speaker 7: But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let
• 16:48
  Speaker 7: everyone call urgently on the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
• 16:54
  Speaker 3: Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.
• 16:58
  Speaker 7: Who knows, this God may yet relent and, with compassion,
• 17:04
  Speaker 7: turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: Jonah stood frozen. eyes wide in disbelief, as Nineveh, the
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: great city of sin, fell to its knees. From street
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: to street, alley to alley, men and women tore their garments,
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: covered their heads in ash, and wept bitterly in repentance.
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: Even the cruelest, most hardened men broke into tears, their
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: hands lifted toward heaven, begging mercy from a God they
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: barely knew. And When forty days had passed, the entire
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: city drew a sigh of relief. No judgment had come. Instead,
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: what had come was flourishing beyond imagination, flourishing born from
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: hearts genuinely changed and transformed by mercy. Yet Jonah felt
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: no relief. The prophet of the Lord stood upon a
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: jagged ridge outside the city, exposed to the sun, hot
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: with anger.
• 18:10
  Speaker 6: No, no, this is all wrong. This, this is, they're sinners.
• 18:17
  Speaker 4: They're, they're worthless.
• 18:20
  Speaker 5: They're, they're... Who.
• 18:24
  Speaker 2: Are they, Jonah?
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: The Lord's calm voice contrasted Jonah's rage.
• 18:31
  Speaker 5: Oh, they're dirty. They're Rotten, godless, good-for-nothing Assyrians.
• 18:36
  Speaker 3: Pigs! Dogs!
• 18:39
  Speaker 2: They are image-bearers, as are you.
• 18:44
  Speaker 5: No, no.
• 18:45
  Speaker 6: They are enemies of your chosen people. They've slaughtered our people.
• 18:51
  Speaker 6: They've killed thousands of us.
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: Jonah snatched a stone from the dusty ground, hurling it
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: toward the city with a bitter curse. The stone fell
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: far short, bouncing impotently upon the slope below. He turned
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: his eyes upward, voice rising with bitter accusation.
• 19:12
  Speaker 5: Do you know why I fled from you on that
• 19:14
  Speaker 5: cursed boat? Because I know you. Too well, perhaps.
• 19:21
  Speaker 6: I knew you would show mercy, forgiving those dogs who
• 19:25
  Speaker 6: deserve nothing but ruin.
• 19:27
  Speaker 5: You, you're too kind, too patient. I wanted no part
• 19:32
  Speaker 5: of it. I want them to burn.
• 19:36
  Speaker 4: They deserve any violence that comes to them, and then some.
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: His voice echoed, carried away by the wind. Jonah paced
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: the rocky summit, beating his chest. and snarling curses. toward
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: the heavens. God's reply came gentle, like the whisper of
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: a patient father.
• 19:57
  Speaker 2: Is it right for you to hold this anger, Jonah?
• 20:01
  Speaker 4: Is it right for you to bless a foreign nation
• 20:04
  Speaker 4: while ours endures famine and infighting?
• 20:09
  Speaker 5: I'm done with you. I'm done with this game. You
• 20:12
  Speaker 5: make no sense.
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: Rage and resentment burned through him until exhaustion overcame him.
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: His voice grew hoarse and raw, and his legs trembled
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: beneath him. He stumbled toward a nearby tree, sinking heavily
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: to the ground, resting his back against its smooth trunk.
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: Above him, branches stretched wide, shielding him from the harsh
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: heat of the midday sun. The shade felt impossibly cool
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: and welcoming, a balm to his weary spirit. Jonah breathed deeply,
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: closing his eyes, savoring this unexpected mercy. A rare peace
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: washed over him as he relaxed, body and mind soothed
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: by the tree's gentle embrace. In that moment, Jonah's fury softened,
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: Gratitude filled him, sudden and overwhelming. He loved that tree
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: more deeply than he had loved anything for a long time.
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: Beneath its branches, memories drifted gently through his mind. Simpler days,
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: quieter moments. His breathing slowed, and he slipped gently into
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: the first restful sleep he had known since before his
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: flight from Israel. As night fell softly upon the hill,
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: Jonah slept beneath his beloved tree, wrapped in dreams of
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: peace and comfort. But the Lord, in wisdom subtle and sharp,
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: sent forth a tiny servant, a worm, small and silent,
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: who burrowed quietly into the earth. Beneath Jonah's restful sleep
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: The creature gnawed tirelessly at the tree's roots, infecting it
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: with quiet death. As the worm worked unseen, the great
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: tree trembled gently, losing its strength, its leaves shriveling and
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: falling softly to the ground. Morning broke harshly upon Jonah,
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: awakening him with a searing, merciless wind from the east.
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: The scorching breeze tore across the hilltop, swirling dust and
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: brittle leaves into Jonah's face, choking his breath and stinging
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: his eyes. Coughing violently, Jonah staggered to his feet, squinting
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: painfully into the blinding sun. His head pounded with the
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: relentless heat and sweat dripped down his raw, burning neck.
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: When Jonah turned his gaze upward, despair crushed him. His
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: beautiful tree, the gentle shelter of his peace, had crumbled overnight,
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: branches bare and brittle, trunk twisted and dead. His safe haven,
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: the one comfort he had cherished, lay ruined at his feet.
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: Jonah fell to his knees in grief, fists beating furiously.
• 23:23
  Speaker 2: Upon the dust.
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: Tears mingled with dirt as he wailed in bitter rage
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: and sorrow.
• 23:30
  Speaker 3: Why? Would it not be better for me to die?
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: The sun grew hotter still, burning Jonah's cracked lips and
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: blistering skin. He lifted his face defiantly toward heaven, anguish
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: mingling with fury in his eyes. His body shook violently
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: with anger and exhaustion. The gentle voice of God drifted
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: down once more, calm amidst the chaos.
• 23:57
  Speaker 2: Jonah, are you justified in your anger about the plant?
• 24:03
  Speaker 5: Yes, I have every right.
• 24:06
  Speaker 6: Anger enough to wish for death.
• 24:09
  Speaker 2: You weep in rage for this plant, Jonah, which you
• 24:13
  Speaker 2: neither planted nor nurtured. You gave it no water, no care.
• 24:19
  Speaker 2: It rose in a day and perished just as quickly.
• 24:23
  Speaker 2: Yet you mourn as if it were your own flesh
• 24:25
  Speaker 2: and blood. Should I not feel greater compassion for Nineveh?
• 24:31
  Speaker 2: That city is filled with more than 120,000 souls. Lost, blind,
• 24:40
  Speaker 2: ignorant of right from wrong. Should I not care more
• 24:44
  Speaker 2: deeply for them than you do this simple tree?
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: This PrayDogCon production is only made possible by our dedicated
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: team of creative talents. Steve Gatina, Max Bard, Zach Schellewager
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People,
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton,
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia Zaradok,
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: Thomas Copeland Jr., Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Lashinsky. Music by
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: Andrew Morgan Smith. written by Aaron Salvato, Brie Rosely, and
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: Chris Baig. You can hear more Prey.com productions on the
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: Prey.com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People, please rate
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: and leave a review.