[0] I will plant them upon their land, and they shall never again be
plucked up out of the land which I have given them," says the LORD your
God. [1] Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amit'tai,
saying, [2] "Arise, go to Nin'eveh, that great city, and cry against it;
for their wickedness has come up before me." [3] But Jonah rose to flee to
Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a
ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went on board, to go with
them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. [4] But the LORD
hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the
sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. [5] Then the mariners were
afraid, and each cried to his god; and they threw the wares that were in
the ship into the sea, to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into
the inner part of the ship and had lain down, and was fast asleep. [6] So
the captain came and said to him, "What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise,
call upon your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we do
not perish." [7] And they said to one another, "Come, let us cast lots,
that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us." So they cast
lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. [8] Then they said to him, "Tell us, on
whose account this evil has come upon us? What is your occupation? And
whence do you come? What is your country? And of what people are you?" [9]
And he said to them, "I am a Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of
heaven, who made the sea and the dry land." [10] Then the men were
exceedingly afraid, and said to him, "What is this that you have done!" For
the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he
had told them. [11] Then they said to him, "What shall we do to you, that
the sea may quiet down for us?" For the sea grew more and more tempestuous.
[12] He said to them, "Take me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea
will quiet down for you; for I know it is because of me that this great
tempest has come upon you." [13] Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring
the ship back to land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more
tempestuous against them. [14] Therefore they cried to the LORD, "We
beseech thee, O LORD, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not on
us innocent blood; for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee." [15] So
they took up Jonah and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased from its
raging. [16] Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a
sacrifice to the LORD and made vows. [17] And the LORD appointed a great
fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days
and three nights.
