Psalm 114

Jonah Flees From the Lord

1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah^(A) son of Amittai:^{(B) 2} “Go to the great city of Nineveh^(C) and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

³ But Jonah ran^(D) away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish^(E). He went down to Joppa,^(F) where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.^(G)

⁴ Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.^{(H) 5} All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.^(I)

But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. ⁶ The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call^(J) on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.”^(K)

⁷ Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.”^(L) They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.^{(M) 8} So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”

⁹ He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord,^(N) the God of heaven,^(O) who made the sea^(P) and the dry land.^(Q)”

¹⁰ This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)

¹¹ The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”

¹² “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”^(R)

¹³ Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before.^{(S) 14} Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man,^(T) for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.”^{(U) 15} Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.^{(V) 16} At this the men greatly feared^(W) the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows^(X) to him.

Jonah’s Prayer

¹⁷ Now the Lord provided^(Y) a huge fish to swallow Jonah,^(Z) and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

¹⁹ If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.^(A)

²⁰ But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead,^(B) the firstfruits^(C) of those who have fallen asleep.^{(D) 21} For since death came through a man,^(E) the resurrection of the dead^(F) comes also through a man. ²² For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.^{(G) 23} But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits;^(H) then, when he comes,^(I) those who belong to him.^{(J) 24} Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom^(K) to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.^{(L) 25} For he must reign^(M) until he has put all his enemies under his feet.^{(N) 26} The last enemy to be destroyed is death.^{(O) 27} For he “has put everything under his feet.”^[a](P) Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ.^{(Q) 28} When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him,^(R) so that God may be all in all.^(S)