Jonah’s Disobedience

The word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

But Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship that was going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and boarded it to go with them to Tarshish away from the presence of the Lord.

However, the Lord hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea, so that the ship was about to break up.

So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land.”

Then the men became extremely afraid, and they said to him, “How could you do this?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.

Then they cried out to the 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 You, Lord, have done as You pleased.”

Then the men became extremely afraid of the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

And the Lord designated a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish for three days and three nights.

Jonah’s Prayer

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish,

and he said, “I called out of my distress to the Lord, And He answered me. I called for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice.

I descended to the base of the mountains. The earth with its bars was around me forever, But You have brought up my life from the pit, Lord my God.

While I was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, And my prayer came to You, Into Your holy temple.

But I will sacrifice to You With a voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the Lord.”

Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land.

Nineveh Repents

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying,

So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk.

Then he prayed to the Lord and said, “Please Lord, was this not what I said when I was still in my own country? Therefore in anticipation of this I fled to Tarshish, since I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in mercy, and One who relents of disaster.

So now, Lord, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.”

But the Lord said, “Do you have a good reason to be angry?”

So the Lord God designated a plant, and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head, to relieve him of his discomfort. And Jonah was overjoyed about the plant.

Then the Lord said, “You had compassion on the plant, for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight.