Book Order Bible

¹NOW the word of Yahvah came to Jonah the son of Matai, saying, ²Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it; for their wickedness has come up before me. ³But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahvah, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare and went on board to go with them to Tarshish to flee from the presence of Yahvah.

⁴But Yahvah 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. ⁵Then the mariners were afraid and cried every man to his god, and they threw the wares that were in the ship into the sea to lighten it. But Jonah had gone down into the inner hold of the ship; and he lay and was fast asleep. ⁶So the captain came to him and said to him, Why are you sleeping? Arise, call on your God, perhaps God will deliver us, that we do not perish. ⁷And each one said to his fellow, Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil has come on us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. ⁸Then they said to him, Tell us for what cause this evil has come on us; what is your occupation? And from what place do you come? What is your country? And of what people are you? ⁹And Jonah said to them, I am a Hebrew; and I worship Yahvah the God of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land. ¹⁰Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, What have you done? For the men knew that he had fled from the presence of Yahvah.

¹¹And when he had told them everything, then they said to him, What will we do to you that the sea may be calm for us? For look, the sea continues to be more tempestuous against us. ¹²Jonah said to them, Take me up and cast me into the sea, so that the sea may be calm to you; for I know that for my sake this great tempest is on you. ¹³Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring the ship back to the land; but they could not; for the sea became more tempestuous against them. ¹⁴Therefore they cried to Yahvah and said, We beg you, oh Yahvah, do not let us perish for this man's life, and do not lay on us innocent blood; for you are Yahvah and have done as it pleased you. ¹⁵So they took up Jonah and cast him forth into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging. ¹⁶And the men were greatly terrified from the presence of Yahvah, and they offered sacrifices of righteousness to Yahvah and made vows. ¹⁷Now Yahvah had prepared a great fish, and it swallowed up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish 3 days and 3 nights.