Jonah 1

1 Now the word of YHWH came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying:

2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim against it, for their wickedness has come up before me."

Rise and go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach in it. For its malice has ascended before my eyes.

3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of YHWH. 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 from the presence of YHWH.

And Jonah rose in order to flee from the face of the Lord to Tarshish. And he went down to Joppa and found a ship bound for Tarshish. And he paid its fare, and he went down into it, in order to go with them to Tarshish from the face of the Lord.

4 But YHWH sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty storm on the sea, so that the ship was likely to break up.

But the Lord sent a great wind into the sea. And a great tempest took place in the sea, and the ship was in danger of being crushed.

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

And the mariners were afraid, and the men cried out to their god. And they threw the containers that were in the ship into the sea in order to lighten it of them. And Jonah went down into the interior of the ship, and he fell into a painful deep sleep.

6 So the shipmaster came to him, and said to him, "What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God. Maybe your God will notice us, so that we won't perish."

And the helmsman approached him, and he said to him, “Why are you weighed down with sleep? Rise, call upon your God, so perhaps God will be mindful of us and we might not perish.”

7 They all said to each other, "Come, 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.

And a man said to his shipmate, “Come, and let us cast lots, so that we may know why this disaster is upon us.” And they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

8 Then they asked him, "Tell us, please, for whose cause this evil is on us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? Of what people are you?"

And they said to him: “Explain to us what is the reason that this disaster is upon us. What is your work? Which is your country? And where are you going? Or which people are you from?”

9 He said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear YHWH, the God of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land."

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

10 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 YHWH, because he had told them.

And the men were greatly afraid, and they said to him, “Why have you done this?” (For the men knew that he was fleeing from the face of the Lord, because he had told them.)

11 Then said they to him, "What shall we do to you, that the sea may be calm to us?" For the sea grew more and more stormy.

And they said to him, “What are we to do with you, so that the sea will cease for us?” For the sea flowed and swelled.

12 He said to them, "Take me up, and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will be calm for you; for I know that because of me this great storm is on you."

And he said to them, “Take me, and cast me into the sea, and the sea will cease for you. For I know that it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.”

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

And the men were rowing, so as to return to dry land, but they did not succeed. For the sea flowed and swelled against them.

14 Therefore they cried to YHWH, and said, "We beg you, YHWH, we beg you, let us not perish for this man's life, and do not lay on us innocent blood; for you, YHWH, have done as it pleased you."

And they cried out to the Lord, and they said, “We beseech you, Lord, do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not attribute to us innocent blood. For you, Lord, have done just as it pleased you.”

15 So they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging.

And they took Jonah and cast him into the sea. And the sea was stilled from its fury.

16 Then the men feared YHWH exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to YHWH, and made vows.

And the men feared the Lord greatly, and they sacrificed victims to the Lord, and they made vows.

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

And the Lord prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.