Justice and Judgment While overlapping with the theme above, but still distinct is the theme of justice and judgment. Both the prophetic books of Nahum and Jonah include pronouncements of judgment against Nineveh (Jon. 3.4; see esp. Nah. 3.1). As Phillip Cary notes concerning Nahum’s pronouncement against Nineveh, “The justice of the LORD in toppling empires and vindicating the oppressed is a thing to be celebrated.” Cary suggests that the book of Nahum “provides the background we need to understand Jonah’s attitude toward Nineveh.” God’s judgment concerning evil is good. But Jonah (and Israel) already knew that. The unexpected twist after Jonah’s pronouncement is that “when Nineveh repented, God relented.” The fact that God had the right