Jonah Chapter 1

1Then, the word of the Lord came unto Jonah son of Amittai saying, 2 "Arise, go to Ninevah, the great city and call against her, for their wickedness has come up before me."

3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the before the face of the Lord, and he went down to Joppa, and he found a ship going to Tarshish, and he paid its fare and he went down into her to go with them to Tarshish away from the face of the Lord.

4 But the Lord hurled a great wind into the sea. And then, a great tempest was on the sea and the ship threatened to be broken up. 5 And the mariners were afraid and they cried each man to his god. And they hurled the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it from upon them. But Jonah had gone down into the recesses of the ship and he had lied down and was fast sleep. 6 And the captain drew near to him, and he said to him, "Why are you fast asleep? Arise, call upon your God, perhaps God will give thought to us, and we will not perish."

7 And they said each man to one another, come let us cast lots that we may know on whose account, this evil has fallen to us, so they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 And they said to him, "Now, tell to us on whose account this evil came to us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? 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 the Heavens, who made the sea and the dry land."

10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid and they said to him, "What is this you have done." For the men knew that he had fled from the presence of the Lord because he had told it to them. 11 And they said to him, "What shall we do to you in order to quiet the sea from around us for the sea is growing more tempestuous?" 12 And he said to them, "Lift me and hurl me into the sea, in order to quiet the sea from around you for I know that it is on my account this great tempest is upon you."

13 But the men rowed to return to the dry land but they were not able to because the sea was growing more tempestuous against them. 14 And they called to the Lord and they said, "An opportunity is upon us now, let us not perish for the life of this man, and you will not lay on us innocent blood, for you O Lord have done as it pleased you." 15 And they carried Jonah and they hurled him into the sea and the sea stood still from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord with great fear they sacrificed a sacrifice to the Lord and they vowed vows.

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