Jonah 1:1-4:10
1599 Geneva Bible
Jonah
1 3 Jonah fled when he was sent to preach. 4 A tempest ariseth, and he is cast into the sea for his disobedience.
1 The word of the Lord came [a]also unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2 Arise, and go to [b]Nineveh, that [c]great city, and cry against it: for their wickedness is come up before me.
3 But Jonah rose up to [d]flee into Tarshish, from the presence of the Lord, and went down to [e]Japho: and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, that he might go with them unto Tarshish, from the [f]presence of the Lord.
4 But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.
5 Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast the wares that were in the ship, into the sea, to lighten it of them: but Jonah was gone down [g]into the sides of the ship, and he lay down, and was fast asleep.
6 So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? Arise, call upon thy [h]God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.
7 And they said everyone to his fellow, Come, and let us cast [i]lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
8 Then said they unto him, Tell us for whose cause this evil is upon us? What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? which is thy country? and of what people art thou?
9 And he answered them, I am an Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven, which hath made the sea, and the dry land.
10 Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? (for the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them)
11 Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? (for the sea wrought, and was troublous)
12 And he said unto them, Take me, and cast me into the sea: so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.
13 Nevertheless the men rowed to bring it to the land, but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was troublous against them.
14 Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, [j]We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee.
15 So they took up Jonah, and cast him into the sea, and the sea ceased from her raging.
16 Then the men [k]feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.
17 Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah: and Jonah was in the [l]belly of the fish three days and three nights.
2 1 Jonah is in the fish’s belly. 2 His prayer. 10 He is delivered.
1 Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God [m]out of the fish’s belly,
2 And said, I cried in mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me: out of the belly [n]of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
3 For thou hadst cast me into the bottom in the midst of the sea, and the floods compassed me about: all thy surges, and all thy waves passed over me.
4 Then I said, I am [o]cast away out of thy sight: yet will I look again toward thine holy Temple.
5 The waters compassed me about unto the soul: the depth closed me round about, and the weeds were wrapped about mine head.
6 I went down to the bottom of the mountains: the earth with her bars was about me forever, yet hast thou brought up my [p]life from the pit, O Lord my God.
7 When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came unto thee into thine holy Temple.
8 They that wait upon lying [q]vanities, forsake their own [r]mercy.
9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving, and will pay that that I have vowed: salvation is of the Lord.
10 And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it cast out Jonah upon the dry land.
3 1 Jonah is sent again to Ninevah. 5 The repentance of the king of Ninevah.
1 And the word of the Lord came unto [s]Jonah the second time, saying,
2 Arise, go unto Nineveh that great city, and preach unto it the preaching which I bid thee.
3 So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord: now Nineveh was a [t]great and excellent city of three days journey.
4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s [u]journey, and he cried and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
5 So the people of Nineveh [v]believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them, even to the least of them.
6 For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he rose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7 And he proclaimed and said through Nineveh, (by the counsel of the king and his nobles) saying, Let neither man, nor [w]beast, bullock nor sheep taste anything, neither feed nor drink water.
8 But let man and beast put on sackcloth, and [x]cry mightily unto God: yea, let every man turn from his evil way, and from the wickedness that is in their hands.
9 [y]Who can tell if God will turn, and repent and turn away from his fierce wrath, that we perish not?
10 And God saw their [z]works that they turned from their evil ways: and [aa]God repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them, and he did it not.
4 The great goodness of God toward his creatures.
1 Therefore it displeased [ab]Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
2 And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? therefore I prevented it to flee unto [ac]Tarshish: for I knew, that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.
3 Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life [ad]from me: for it is better for me to die than to live.
4 Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be [ae]angry?
5 So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the East side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow [af]till he might see what should be done in the city.
6 And the Lord God prepared a [ag]gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, and deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.
7 But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd, that it withered.
8 And when the sun did arise, God prepared also a fervent East wind: and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted and wished in his heart to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
9 And God said unto Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be [ah]angry unto the death.
10 Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd for the which thou hast not labored, neither madest it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night,
Footnotes
- Jonah 1:1 After that he had preached a long time in Israel: and so Ezekiel, after that for a time he had prophesied in Judah, he had visions in Babylon, Ezek. 1:1.
- Jonah 1:2 For seeing the great obstination of the Israelites, he sent his Prophet to the Gentiles, that they might provoke them to repentance, or at least make them inexcusable: for Nineveh was the chief city of the Assyrians.
- Jonah 1:2 For as authors write, it contained in circuit about eight and forty miles, and had a thousand and five hundred towers, and at this time there were an hundred and twenty thousand children therein, Jonah 4:11.
- Jonah 1:3 Whereby he declared his weakness, that would not promptly follow the Lord’s calling, but gave place to his own reason, which persuaded him that he should nothing at all profit there, seeing he had done so small good among his own people, Jonah 4:2.
- Jonah 1:3 Which was the haven, and port to take shipping thither, called also Joppa.
- Jonah 1:3 From that vocation whereunto God had called him, and wherein he would have assisted him.
- Jonah 1:5 As one that would have cast off this care and solicitude by seeking rest and quietness.
- Jonah 1:6 As they had called on their idols, which declareth that idolaters have no stay nor certainty, but in their troubles seek they cannot tell to whom.
- Jonah 1:7 Which declareth that the matter was in great extremity and doubt, which thing was God’s motion in them, for the trial of the cause: and this may not be done but in matters of great importance.
- Jonah 1:14 This declareth that the very wicked in their necessities flee unto God for succor and also that they are touched with a certain fear to shed man’s blood, whereas they know no manifest sign of wickedness.
- Jonah 1:16 They were touched with a certain repentance of their life past, and began to worship the true God by whom they saw themselves so wonderfully delivered: but this was done for fear, and not of a pure heart and affection, neither according to God’s word.
- Jonah 1:17 Thus the Lord would chastise his Prophet with a most terrible spectacle of death, and hereby also confirmed him of his favor and support in this his charge which was enjoined him.
- Jonah 2:1 Being now swallowed up of death, and seeing no remedy to escape, his faith brast out unto the Lord, knowing that out of the very hell he was able to deliver him.
- Jonah 2:2 For he was now in the fish’s belly as in a grave or place of darkness.
- Jonah 2:4 This declared what his prayer was, and how he labored between hope and despair, considering the neglect of his vocation, and God’s judgments for the same: but yet in the end faith got the victory.
- Jonah 2:6 Thou hast delivered me from the belly of the fish and all these dangers, as it were raising me from death to life.
- Jonah 2:8 They that depend upon anything save on God alone.
- Jonah 2:8 They refuse their own felicity, and that goodness which they should else receive of God.
- Jonah 3:1 This is a great declaration of God’s mercy, that he receiveth him again, and sendeth him forth as his Prophet, which had before showed so great infirmity.
- Jonah 3:3 Read Jonah 1:2.
- Jonah 3:4 He went forward one day in the city, and preached, and so he continued till the city was converted.
- Jonah 3:5 For he declared that he was a Prophet sent to them from God to denounce his judgments against them.
- Jonah 3:7 Not that the dumb beasts had sinned or could repent, but that by their example man might be astonished, considering that for his sin the anger of God hanged over all creatures.
- Jonah 3:8 He willed that the men should earnestly call unto God for mercy.
- Jonah 3:9 For partly by the threatening of the Prophet, and partly by the motion of his own conscience, he doubted whether God would show them mercy.
- Jonah 3:10 That is, the fruits of their repentance, which did proceed of faith, which God had planted by the ministry of his Prophet.
- Jonah 3:10 Read Jer. 18:8.
- Jonah 4:1 Because hereby he should be taken as a false prophet, and so the Name of God, which he preached, should be blasphemed.
- Jonah 4:2 Read Jonah 1:3.
- Jonah 4:3 Thus he prayed of grief fearing lest God’s Name by this forgiveness might be blasphemed, as though he sent his Prophets forth to denounce his judgments in vain.
- Jonah 4:4 Wilt thou be judge when I do things for my glory, and when I do not?
- Jonah 4:5 For he doubted as yet whether God would show them mercy or not, and therefore after forty days he departed out of the city, looking what issue God would send.
- Jonah 4:6 Which was a further means, to cover him from the heat of the sun, as he remained in his booth.
- Jonah 4:9 This declareth the great inconveniences whereinto God’s servants do fall when they give place to their own affections, and do not in all things willingly submit themselves to God.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
Bible Gateway Recommends
