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)

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.”^(A)

¹³ Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before.^{(B) 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,^(C) for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.”^{(D) 15} Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.^{(E) 16} At this the men greatly feared^(F) the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows^(G) to him.

Jonah’s Prayer

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