Jonah & The Beast II

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