Matthew 12:39-41

12:39 But he answered them, ¹  “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 12:40 For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish ²  for three days and three nights, ³  so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 12:41 The people ⁴  of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them ⁵  – and now, ⁶  something greater than Jonah is here!

[12:39]  ¹ tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.

[12:40]  ² tn Grk “large sea creature.”

[12:40]  ³ sn A quotation from Jonah 1:17.

[12:41]  ³ tn Grk “men”; the word here (ἀνήρ, anhr) usually indicates males or husbands, but occasionally is used in a generic sense of people in general, as here (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 1.a, 2).

[12:41]  ⁴ tn Grk “at the preaching of Jonah.”

[12:41]  ⁵ tn Grk “behold.”