Jonah 1

Now the word of Yahweh came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

“Get up! Go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.”

But Jonah got 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, away from the presence of Yahweh.

But Yahweh hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty storm on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.

Then the mariners were afraid, and every man cried out to his god. And they threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the ship, and he was laying down and was fast asleep.

So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Get up! Call on your god! Maybe your god will take note of us, so that we do not perish.”

And they said to one another, “Come, let’s cast lots so that we may know who is responsible for this evil that is upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.

Then they said to him, “Tell us now on whose account this evil is upon us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? Of what people are you?”

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

Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of Yahweh, because he had told them.

Then they said to him, “What should we do to you so that the sea will become calm for us?” For the sea was getting rougher and rougher.

So he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will be calm for you, for I know that it is because of me that this great storm is upon you.”

Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get the ship back to the land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy against them.

Then they cried out to Yahweh and said, “Please, Yahweh, do not let us die for this man’s life, and do not hold against us innocent blood, for you, Yahweh, have done as it pleased you.”

So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging.

Then the men feared Yahweh with great fear; and they sacrificed a sacrifice to Yahweh and vowed vows.

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