Jonah 1

1 And there is a word of Jehovah unto Jonah son of Amittai, saying:

The word of the Lord also came unto Jonah the son of 'Amitthai, saying,

2 'Rise, go unto Nineveh, the great city, and proclaim against it that their wickedness hath come up before Me.'

Arise, Go unto Nineveh, the great city, and proclaim against her; for their wickedness is come up before me.

3 And Jonah riseth to flee to Tarshish from the face of Jehovah, and goeth down [to] Joppa, and findeth a ship going [to] Tarshish, and he giveth its fare, and goeth down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the face of Jehovah.

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

4 And Jehovah hath cast a great wind on the sea, and there is a great tempest in the sea, and the ship hath reckoned to be broken;

But the Lord excited a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea; and it was thought that the ship would be broken in pieces.

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

And the mariners were afraid, and called every man unto his god; and they cast forth the articles which were in the ship into the sea, to be lightened of them. But Jonah was gone down into the hold of the ship, and lay down, and was fast asleep.

6 And the chief of the company draweth near to him, and saith to him, 'What — to thee, O sleeper? rise, call unto thy God, it may be God doth bethink himself of us, and we do not perish.'

So the ship-master came near unto him, and said unto him, Why dost thou sleep? arise, call upon thy God: perhaps it be that God will think of us, that we may not be lost.

7 And they say each unto his neighbour, 'Come, and we cast lots, and we know on whose account this evil [is] on us.' And they cast lots, and the lot falleth on Jonah.

And they said one to the other, Come, and let us cast lots; that we may know for whose cause this evil hath happened unto us. And they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

8 And they say unto him, 'Declare to us, we pray thee, on what account this evil [is] on us? what [is] thine occupation, and whence comest thou? what [is] thy country, seeing thou art not of this people?'

Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, thou for whose cause this evil hath happened unto us, What is thy business? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?

9 And he saith unto them, 'A Hebrew I [am], and Jehovah, God of the heavens, I am reverencing, who made the sea and the dry land.'

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

10 And the men fear a great fear, and say unto him, 'What [is] this thou hast done!' for the men have known that from the face of Jehovah he is fleeing, for he hath told them.

Then were the men exceedingly afraid and they said unto him, What is this thou hast done? for the men knew that he was flying from the presence of the Lord; because he had told them.

11 And they say unto him, 'What do we do to thee that the sea may cease from us, for the sea is more and more tempestuous?'

And they said unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may become calm around us? for the sea grew more and more tempestuous.

12 And he saith unto them, 'Lift me up, and cast me into the sea, and the sea doth cease from you; for I know that on my account this great tempest [is] upon you.'

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

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

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

14 And they cry unto Jehovah, and say, 'We pray Thee, O Jehovah, let us not, we pray Thee, perish for this man's life, and do not lay on us innocent blood, for Thou, Jehovah, as Thou hast pleased, Thou hast done.'

And they called unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, let us not be lost, we pray thee, for the life of this man, and lay not upon us [the guilt of] innocent blood; for thou art the Lord, as it pleaseth thee so dost thou do.

15 And they lift up Jonah, and cast him into the sea, and the sea ceaseth 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 fear Jehovah — a great fear, and sacrifice a sacrifice to Jehovah, and vow vows.

And the men feared the Lord very greatly; and they offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.

17 And Jehovah appointeth a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah is in the bowels of the fish three days and three nights.

And the Lord made ready a large fish to swallow up Jonah: and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.