Now the word of Jehovah came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying:
2“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.”
3But Jonah instead rose up to flee from the presence of Jehovah to Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, found a ship headed to Tarshish, paid its fare, and went down into it, so he could go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of Jehovah.
4But Jehovah sent out a great wind on the sea; and in the sea such a mighty storm arose that the ship was likely to break up. 5Fear gripped the mariners; every man cried to his god, and they emptied their cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But meanwhile, Jonah had gone down into the deepest parts of the ship. 6The shipmaster found him there fast asleep: “How can you be sleeping?” he exclaimed. “Get up! Call on your God! Maybe your God will notice us, so we won’t perish.”
7“Come!” the sailors said to each other, “Let’s cast lots, so we can find out who is responsible for our evil plight.” So they cast lots; and when the lot fell on Jonah, 8they asked him, “Please tell us: who is to blame for this evil? What’s your occupation? Where do you come from? What’s your country? Who are your people?”
9He told them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear Jehovah, the God of heaven, who has made both the sea and the dry land.”
10Then the men were even more terrified and exclaimed: “What have you done?” For once he had told them, the men now knew for sure that he was fleeing from the presence of Jehovah. 11As the tempest strengthened, and they asked him “What should we do to you, so the sea will calm down for us?” 12he told them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will be calm for you; for I know that I’m the reason this great storm is on you.”
13Nevertheless the men rowed hard to make the shore; but they could not, for the sea grew rougher and rougher against them. 14Finally they cried out to Jehovah: “We beg you, Jehovah, we beg you: don’t let us die for this man’s life! And, don’t hold us accountable for innocent blood! For you, Jehovah, have done what you pleased.” 15So they took up Jonah and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging. 16Then the men feared Jehovah exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to Jehovah and made vows.
17Jehovah prepared a huge fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.