Jonas 1

1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonas the son of Amathi, saying,

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

2 Rise, and go to Nineve, the great city, and preach in it; for the cry of its wickedness is come up to me.

Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

3 But Jonas rose up to flee to Tharsis from the presence of the Lord. And he went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tharsis: and he paid his fare, and went up into it, to sail with them to Tharsis from the presence of the Lord.

But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah; and he went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish, and paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah.

4 And the Lord raised up a wind on the sea; and there was a great storm on the sea, and the ship was in danger of being broken.

But Jehovah sent forth a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken in pieces.

5 And the sailors were alarmed, and cried every one to his god, and cast out the wares that were in the ship into the sea, that it might be lightened of them. But Jonas was gone down into the hold of the ship, and was asleep, and snored.

Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man to his god. And they cast forth the things that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah had gone down to the lower part of the ship, and he lay and was fast asleep.

6 And the shipmaster came to him, and said to him, Why snorest thou? arise, and call upon thy God, that God may save us, and we perish not.

And the shipmaster came to him, and said to him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God! Perhaps God will think upon us, that we perish not.

7 And each man said to his neighbour, Come, let us cast lots, and find out for whose sake this mischief is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonas.

And they said one to another, come, and let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil is upon us! And they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

8 And they said to him, Tell us what is thine occupation, and whence comest thou, and of what country and what people art thou?

Then said they to him, Tell us, we pray thee, on whose account this evil is upon us. What is thy business? And whence comest thou? What is thy country? And of what people art thou?

9 And he said to them, I am a servant of the Lord; and I worship the Lord God of heaven, who made the sea, and the dry [land].

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

10 Then the men feared exceedingly, and said to him, What is this [that] thou hast done? for the men knew that he was fleeing from the face of the Lord, because he had told them.

Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said to him, Wherefore hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of Jehovah, because he had told them.

11 And they said to him, What shall we do to thee, that the sea may be calm to us? for the sea rose, and lifted its wave exceedingly.

Then said they to him, What shall we do to thee, that the sea may be calm to us? For the sea grew more and more tempestuous.

12 And Jonas said to them, Take me up, and cast me into the sea, and the sea shall be calm to you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.

And he said to them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; and the sea shall be calm to you. For I know that because of me this great tempest is upon you.

13 And the men tried hard to return to the land, and were not able: for the sea rose and grew more and more tempestuous against them.

Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring the ship to the land; but they could not; for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them.

14 And they cried to the Lord, and said, Forbid it, Lord: let us not perish for the sake of this man's life, and bring not righteous blood upon us: for thou, Lord, hast done as thou wouldest.

And they cried to Jehovah, and said, We beseech thee, O Jehovah, we beseech thee, let us not perish for the life of this man, and lay not upon us innocent blood! For thou, O Jehovah, hast done as it pleased thee.

15 So they took Jonas, and cast him out into the sea: and the sea ceased from its raging.

And they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging.

16 And the men feared the Lord very greatly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord, and vowed vows.

Then the men feared Jehovah exceedingly, and offered sacrifice to Jehovah, and made vows.

17 Now the Lord had commanded a great whale to swallow up Jonas: and Jonas was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights.

Now Jehovah had appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.