27. How many others are hurt because of one wicked person in the world. Woe to the wicked and woe to his neighbor. Look at Jonah. Because he had no wish to go on his Master's mission, how many people could have perished at sea because of him, until they all gathered about him to judge and convict him, TO THROW HIM into the sea. Then all were saved and the Holy One, blessed be He, had mercy upon him. Afterwards, he saved a great many in the world; THAT IS, THE PEOPLE OF NINEVEH. When WAS THIS? When he repented before his Master, in his distress. This is what is meant by: "I cried to Hashem out of my distress, and he heard me" (Yonah 2:3), and: "Out of my distress I called upon Yah: Yah answered me with liberation..." (Tehilim 118:5).
27. חַיָּיבָא חַד בְּעָלְמָא, קִלְקוּלָא דְּכַמָּה אַחֲרָנִין בְּגִינֵיהּ. וַוי לַחַיָּיבָא, וַוי לִשְׁבִיבֵיהּ. ת"ח, יוֹנָה, בְּגִין דְּלָא בָּעָא לְמֵהַךְ בִּשְׁלִיחוּתָא דְּמָארֵיהּ, כַּמָה בְּנֵי נָשָׁא הֲווֹ אִתְאֲבִידוּ בְּגִינֵיהּ בְּיַמָּא, עַד דְּכֻלְּהוּ אָהַדְרוּ עֲלוֹי, וְדָאִינוּ לֵיהּ בְּדִינָא בְּיַמָּא, וּכְדֵין אִשְׁתֵּזִיבוּ כֻּלְּהוּ, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָס עָלֵיהּ לְבָתַר, וְשֵׁזִיב כַּמָה אוֹכְלֹסִין בְּעָלְמָא. אֵימָתַי. כַּד אַהְדָּר לְמָארֵיהּ מִגּוֹ עַקְתֵּיהּ. הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, קָרָאתִי מִצָּרָה לִי אֶל יְיָ' וַיַּעֲנֵנִי. וּכְתִיב, מִן הַמֵּצַר קָרָאתִי יָהּ עָנָנִי בַמֶרְחָב יָהּ וְגוֹ.'