God instructed Jonah to preach in Nineveh, but Jonah fled, resulting in a storm that subsided after he was thrown overboard and swallowed by a fish. After praying to God from inside the fish, Jonah was vomited onto dry land and obeyed God's second command to preach to Nineveh, leading to the city's repentance and God sparing them from destruction. However, Jonah became angry and frustrated that God had shown mercy, prompting God to question Jonah's concern for a plant while God was concerned for the many people and animals in Nineveh.