The word of the LORD
came
to aJonah
the son
of Amittai
saying
,
"Arise, go
to aNineveh
the great
city
and bcry
against
it, for their cwickedness
has come
up before
Me."
But Jonah rose
up to flee
to aTarshish
bfrom the presence
of the LORD
. So he went
down
to cJoppa
, found
a ship
which was going
to Tarshish
, paid
the fare
and went
down
into it to go
with them to Tarshish
from the presence
of the LORD
.
The aLORD hurled
a great
wind
on the sea
and there was a great
storm
on the sea
so that the ship
was about to 1break
up.
Then the sailors became
afraid
and every
man
cried
to ahis god
, and they bthrew
the 1cargo
which
was in the ship
into the sea
to lighten
it 2for them. But Jonah
had gone
below
into the hold
of the ship
, lain
down
and fallen
sound
asleep
.
So the captain approached
him and said
, "How
is it that you are sleeping
? Get
up, acall
on your god
. Perhaps
your bgod
will be concerned
about us so that we will not perish
."
Each man
said
to his mate
, "Come
, let us acast
lots
so we may 1learn
on whose
account
this
calamity
has struck us." So they cast
lots
and the blot
fell
on Jonah
.
Then they said to him, " aTell
us, now
! On whose
account has this
calamity
struck us? What
is your boccupation
? And where
do you come
from? What
is your country
? From what
people
are you?"
He said to them, "I am a aHebrew
, and I bfear
the LORD
cGod
of heaven
who
dmade
the sea
and the dry
land
."
Then the men became
extremely
frightened
and they said
to him, " 1How
could you do
this
?" For the men
knew
that he was afleeing
from the presence
of the LORD
, because
he had told
them.
So they said to him, "What
should we do
to you that the sea
may become
calm
1for us?"--for the sea
was becoming
increasingly
stormy
.
He said to them, "Pick
me up and throw
me into the sea
. Then the sea
will become
calm
1for you, for I know
that aon account
of me this
great
storm
has come upon you."
However, the men 1rowed
desperately to return
to land
but they could
not, for the sea
was becoming
even stormier
against
them.
Then they called on the aLORD
and said
, "We earnestly
pray
, O
LORD
, do not let us perish
on account of this
man's
life
and do not put
innocent
blood
on us; for bYou, O LORD
, have done
as You have pleased
."
So they picked up Jonah
, threw
him into the sea
, and the sea
astopped
its raging
.
Then the men feared
the LORD
greatly
, and they offered
a sacrifice
to the LORD
and made
avows
.
1And the LORD appointed
a great
fish
to swallow
Jonah
, and Jonah
was in the astomach
of the fish
three
days
and three
nights
.