Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai,
saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out
against it, for their evil has come up before me.” 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 down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the
presence of the LORD.
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.
Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And
they hurled the cargo that was 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. So the captain came and
said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to
your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may
not perish.”
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 on Jonah. Then they said to him, “Tell us on
whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation?
And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what
people are you?” 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.”
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.
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. He
said to them, “Pick me up and hurl 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.” Nevertheless, the men rowed hard
to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more
and more tempestuous against them. Therefore they called out to the
LORD, “O LORD, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not
on us innocent blood, for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased
you.” So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the
sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the LORD
exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made
vows.
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.
