< Jonah 1 >

1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonas the son of Amathi, saying:
Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2 Arise, and go to Ninive the great city, and preach in it: for the wickedness thereof is come up before me.
Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
3 And Jonas rose up to flee into Tharsis from the face of the Lord, and he went down to Joppe, and found a ship going to Tharsis: and he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them to Tharsis from the face of the Lord.
But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
4 But the Lord sent a great wind into the sea: and a great tempest was raised in the sea, and the ship was in danger to be broken.
But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.
5 And the mariners were afraid, and the men cried to their god: and they cast forth the wares that were in the ship, into the sea, to lighten it of them: and Jonas went down into the inner part of the ship, and fell into a deep sleep.
Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man to his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.
6 And the shipmaster came to him, and said to him: Why art thou fast asleep? rise up, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think of us, that we may not perish.
So the shipmaster came to him, and said to him, What mean you, O sleeper? arise, call on your God, if so be that God will think on us, that we perish not.
7 And they said every one to his fellow: Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know why this evil is upon us. And they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonas.
And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is on us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
8 And they said to him: Tell us for what cause this evil is upon us, what is thy business? of what country art thou? and whither goest thou? or of what people art thou?
Then said they to him, Tell us, we pray you, for whose cause this evil is on us; What is your occupation? and from where come you? what 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 made both the sea and the dry land.
And he said to them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which has made the sea and the dry land.
10 And the men were greatly afraid, and they said to him: Why hast thou done this? (for the men knew that he fled from the face of the Lord: because he had told them.)
Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said to him. Why have you done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, 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 flowed and swelled.
Then said they to him, What shall we do to you, that the sea may be calm to us? for the sea worked, and was tempestuous.
12 And he 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; so shall the sea be calm to you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is on you.
13 And the men rowed hard to return to land, but they were not able: because the sea tossed and swelled upon them.
Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea worked, and was tempestuous against them.
14 And they cried to the Lord, and said: We beseech thee, O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee.
Why they cried to the LORD, and said, We beseech you, O LORD, we beseech you, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood: for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you.
15 And they took Jonas, and cast him into the sea, and the sea ceased from raging.
So they look up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
16 And the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and sacrificed victims to the Lord, and made vows.
Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD, and made vows.
17 Now the Lord prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonas: and Jonas was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Now 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.

< Jonah 1 >