We Repent; He Relents.

Jonah 3:6 The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”
10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

What Jonah was afraid would happen happened: the people of Ninevah repented and God showed mercy, putting the brakes on His proper response to their evil hearts and actions. As we see throughout these "minor" prophets, when God calls someone out on their rebellion and sin, they can either try to ignore Him or change. If the response is the first, He accelerates His judgment, if the latter He lets off the gas. Judgment on Ninevah did one day take place, but many years later. There is a lesson, to be sure, for those of us who trust in God. We should view no one as beyond His saving love and mercy, even if they are oppressing us personally. That is up to God. The question for us is: Are we willing to repent?