Jonah 1

1. And the Word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

2. “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”

3. But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. And he went down to Joppa. And he found a ship going to Tarshish. And he paid its fare, and went down into it, in order to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.

4. But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.

5. Then the seamen were afraid, and each man cried to his god. And they threw out the wares that were in the ship, into the sea in order to lighten it. But Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship; and he lay there, and was fast asleep.

6. So the chief of the seaman came to him and said to him, “Why are you sleeping, O sound sleeper? Arise, call upon your God! It may be that your God will notice us, and we will not perish.”

7. And they said, each one to his fellow, “Come and let us cast lots, so that we may know who has caused this evil to come upon us.” And they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.

8. Then they said to him, “Please tell us, for what reason this evil has come upon us. What is your business? And where do you come from? Where is your country? And of what people are you?”

9. And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, Who has made the sea and the dry land.”

10. Then the men were afraid with a great fear. And they said to him, “What is this you have done?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD 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 was raging and growing more tempestuous.

12. And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me out into the sea. And the sea shall be calm to you; for I know that this great storm has come on you for my sake.”

13. But the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not, for the sea grew more tempestuous against them.

14. And they cried to the LORD and said, “We beg You, O LORD, we beg You, let us not perish for this man’s life, and do not lay upon us innocent blood, for You, O LORD, have done as it pleased You.”

15. And they lifted Jonah up and threw him out into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging.

16. Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD, and vowed vows.

17. And the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.