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Jonah Flees from Yahweh's Presence

¹ Now the word of ^(F1)Yahweh came to ^(C1)Jonah the son of Amittai saying,² "Arise, go to ^(C1)Nineveh, the great city, and ^(C2)call out against it, for their ^(C3)evil has come up before Me."³ Yet Jonah arose to flee to ^(C1)Tarshish ^(C2)from the presence of Yahweh. So he went down to ^(C3)Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, and ^(F1)paid its fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh.

⁴ But ^(C1)Yahweh hurled a great wind on the sea, and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship gave thought to ^(F1)breaking apart.⁵ Then the sailors became fearful, and every man cried to ^(C1)his god, and they ^(C2)hurled the ^(F1)cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it ^(F2)for them. But Jonah had gone down below into the innermost part of the vessel, lain down, and fallen deep asleep.⁶ So the captain came near to him and said to him, "How is it that you are deeply sleeping? Arise, ^(C1)call on your god. Perhaps your ^(C2)god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish."

⁷ Then each man said to the other, "Come, let us ^(F1)(C1)have the lots fall so we may know on whose account this calamitous evil has struck us." So they ^(F1)had the lots fall, and the ^(C2)lot fell on Jonah.⁸ Then they said to him, "^(C1)Tell us, now! On whose account has this calamitous evil struck us? What is your ^(C2)occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?"⁹ And he said to them, "I am a ^(C1)Hebrew, and I ^(C2)fear Yahweh, the ^(C3)God of heaven, who ^(C4)made the sea and the dry land."

¹⁰ Then the men became greatly fearful, and they said to him, "What is this you have done?" For the men knew that he was ^(C1)fleeing from the presence of Yahweh because he had told them.¹¹ So they said to him, "What should we do to you that the sea may become quiet ^(F1)for us?"—for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy.¹² So he said to them, "Lift me up and hurl me into the sea. Then the sea will become quiet ^(F1)for you, for I know that ^(C1)on account of me this great storm has come upon you."¹³ However, the men ^(F1)rowed desperately to return to dry land, but they could not, for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy against them.¹⁴ Then they called on ^(C1)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 ^(C2)You, O Yahweh, as You have pleased You have done."

¹⁵ So they lifted Jonah up and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ^(C1)stood still from its raging.¹⁶ Then the men greatly feared Yahweh, and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh and made ^(C1)vows.

^17 (F1)And Yahweh appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the ^(C1)stomach of the fish three days and three nights.