Jonah Tries to Run Away from God

1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying,^{(A) 2} “Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.”^{(B) 3} But Jonah set out 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 his fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.^(C)