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Now Yahweh’s[a] word came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.”

But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. But Yahweh sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty storm on the sea, so that the ship was likely to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and every man cried to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the ship, and he was laying down, and was fast asleep. So the ship master came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God![b] Maybe your God[c] will notice us, so that we won’t perish.”

They all said to each other, “Come! Let’s cast lots, that we may know who is responsible for this evil that is on us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they asked him, “Tell us, please, for whose cause this evil is on us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? Of what people are you?”

He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear Yahweh, the God[d] of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land.”

10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “What have you done?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of Yahweh, because he had told them. 11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may be calm to us?” For the sea grew more and more stormy. 12 He said to them, “Take me up, and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will be calm for you; for I know that because of me this great storm is on you.”

13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to get them back to the land; but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy against them. 14 Therefore they cried to Yahweh, and said, “We beg you, Yahweh, we beg you, don’t let us die for this man’s life, and don’t lay on us innocent blood; for you, Yahweh, have done as it pleased you.” 15 So they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging. 16 Then the men feared Yahweh exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh, and made vows.

17 Yahweh prepared a huge fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Footnotes

  1. 1:1 “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations.
  2. 1:6 or, gods
  3. 1:6 or, gods
  4. 1:9 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).

Jonah’s Disobedience

The word of the Lord came to (A)Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to (B)Nineveh, the great city, and (C)cry out against it, because their (D)wickedness has come up before Me.” But Jonah got up to flee to (E)Tarshish (F)from the presence of the Lord. So he went down to (G)Joppa, found a ship that was going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and [a]boarded it to go with them to Tarshish away from the presence of the Lord.

However, the (H)Lord hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea, so that the ship was about to [b]break up. Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried out to (I)his [c]god, and they (J)hurled the [d]cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it [e]for them. But Jonah had gone below into the stern of the ship, had lain down, and fallen sound asleep. So the captain approached him and said, “How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, (K)call on your god! Perhaps your (L)god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish.”

And each man said to his mate, “Come, let’s (M)cast lots so that we may [f]find out on whose account this catastrophe has struck us.” So they cast lots, and the (N)lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, “(O)Tell us, now! On whose account has this catastrophe struck us? What is your (P)occupation, and where do you come from? What is your country, and from what people are you?” So he said to them, “I am a (Q)Hebrew, and I (R)fear the Lord (S)God of heaven who (T)made the sea and the dry land.”

10 Then the men became extremely afraid, and they said to him, “[g]How could you do this?” For the men knew that he was (U)fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. 11 So they said to him, “What should we do to you so that the sea will become calm [h]for us?”—for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy. 12 And he said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea. Then the sea will become calm [i]for you, because I know that (V)on account of me this great storm has come upon you.” 13 However, the men [j]rowed desperately to return to land, but they could not, because the sea was becoming even stormier against them. 14 Then they cried out to the (W)Lord and said, “We earnestly pray, O Lord, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life, and do not put innocent blood on us; for (X)You, Lord, have done as You pleased.”

15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea (Y)stopped its raging. 16 Then the men became extremely afraid of the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made (Z)vows.

17 [k]And the Lord designated a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the (AA)stomach of the fish for three days and three nights.

Footnotes

  1. Jonah 1:3 Lit went down in
  2. Jonah 1:4 Lit be broken
  3. Jonah 1:5 Or gods
  4. Jonah 1:5 Lit vessels
  5. Jonah 1:5 Lit from upon them
  6. Jonah 1:7 Lit know
  7. Jonah 1:10 Lit What is this you have done
  8. Jonah 1:11 Lit from upon us
  9. Jonah 1:12 Lit from upon you
  10. Jonah 1:13 Lit dug their oars into the water
  11. Jonah 1:17 Ch 2:1 in Heb