Jonah 1

1 Now the word of Yhwh came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

And there is a word of YHWH to Jonah son of Amittai, saying,

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

“Rise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and proclaim against it that their wickedness has come up before Me.”

3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of Yhwh, 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 unto Tarshish from the presence of Yhwh.

And Jonah rises to flee to Tarshish from the face of YHWH, and goes down [to] Joppa, and finds a ship going [to] Tarshish, and he gives its fare, and goes down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the face of YHWH.

4 But Yhwh 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.

And YHWH has cast a great wind on the sea, and there is a great storm in the sea, and the ship has reckoned to be broken;

5 Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto 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.

and the mariners are afraid, and they each cry to his god, and cast the goods that [are] in the ship into the sea, to make [it] light of them; and Jonah has gone down to the sides of the vessel, and he lies down, and is fast asleep.

6 So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.

And the chief of the company draws near to him and says to him, “What are you [doing], O sleeper? Rise, call to your God, it may be God considers Himself of us, and we do not perish.”

7 And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

And they each say to his neighbor, “Come, and we cast lots, and we know on whose account this evil [is] on us.” And they cast lots, and the lot falls on Jonah.

8 Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?

And they say to him, “Now declare to us, on whose account [is] this evil on us? What [is] your occupation, and where do you come from? What [is] your country, seeing you are not of this people?”

9 And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear Yhwh, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.

And he says to them, “I—a Hebrew, and I fear YHWH, God of the heavens, who made the sea and the dry land.”

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

And the men fear a great fear, and say to him, “What [is] this you have done!” For the men have known that he is fleeing from the face of YHWH, for he has told them.

11 Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.

And they say to him, “What do we do to you that the sea may cease from us, for the sea is more and more turbulent?”

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

And he says to them, “Lift me up, and cast me into the sea, and the sea ceases from you; for I know that on my account this great storm [is] on you.”

13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.

And the men row to turn back to the dry land, and are not able, for the sea is more and more turbulent against them.

14 Wherefore they cried unto Yhwh, and said, We beseech thee, O Yhwh, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Yhwh, hast done as it pleased thee.

And they cry to YHWH, and say, “Ah, now, O YHWH, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not lay innocent blood on us! For You, YHWH, as You have pleased, You have done.”

15 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.

And they lift up Jonah, and cast him into the sea, and the sea ceases from its raging;

16 Then the men feared Yhwh exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto Yhwh, and made vows.

and the men fear YHWH [with] a great fear, and sacrifice a sacrifice to YHWH, and vow vows.

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

And YHWH appoints a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah is in the bowels of the fish three days and three nights.