Jonah Flees from Yahweh’s Presence

1Now the word of [†]Yahweh came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, 2“Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before Me.” 3Yet Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, and [†]paid its fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh.

4But Yahweh hurled a great wind on the sea, and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship gave thought to [†]breaking apart. 5Then the sailors became fearful, and every man cried to his god, and they hurled the [†]cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it [†]for them. But Jonah had gone down below into the innermost part of the vessel, lain down, and fallen deep asleep. 6So the captain came near to him and said to him, “How is it that you are deeply sleeping? Arise, call on your god. Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish.”

7Then each man said to the other, “Come, let us [†]have the lots fall so we may know on whose account this calamitous evil has struck us.” So they [†]had the lots fall, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8Then they said to him, “Tell us, now! On whose account has this calamitous evil struck us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?” 9And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear Yahweh, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

10Then the men became greatly fearful, and they said to him, “What is this you have done?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of Yahweh because he had told them. 11So they said to him, “What should we do to you that the sea may become quiet [†]for us?”—for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy. 12So he said to them, “Lift me up and hurl me into the sea. Then the sea will become quiet [†]for you, for I know that on account of me this great storm has come upon you.” 13However, the men [†]rowed desperately to return to dry land, but they could not, for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy against them. 14Then they called on Yahweh and said, “Ah! O Yahweh, we earnestly pray, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life, and do not put innocent blood on us; for You, O Yahweh, as You have pleased You have done.”

15So they lifted Jonah up and hurled him into the sea, and the sea stood still from its raging. 16Then the men greatly feared Yahweh, and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh and made vows.

17[†]And Yahweh appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.