Jonah, Chapter 1

1. Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,    2. Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness has come up before me.    3. 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 out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was in danger of being broken.    5. Then the sailors were afraid, and cried out every man to his god, and threw out the goods that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it from them. But Jonah had gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay down, and was fast asleep.    6. So the captain came to him, and said to him, What do you mean, O sleeper? arise, call upon your God, if perhaps God will think of us, so that 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 sake this evil has come upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.    8. Then said they to him, Tell us, we pray you, for whose sake this evil is upon us; What is your occupation? and from where do you come? 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 has made the sea and the dry land.    10. 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. Then said they to him, What shall we do to you, that the sea may be calm for us? for the sea was in motion, and was tempestuous.    12. And he said to them, Take me up, and throw me out into the sea; so shall the sea be calm for you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.    13. Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea was in motion, and was rushing against them.    14. Therefore they cried out to the LORD, and said, We plead with you, O LORD, we plead with you, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you.    15. So they took up Jonah, and threw him out into the sea: and the sea ceased from its raging.    16. Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.    17. 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.