Jonah 1
1
God Calls and Jonah Runs
1The Lord spoke to Jonah#1:1 Jonah This is probably the same prophet mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25. son of Amittai: 2“Nineveh#1:2 Nineveh The capital city of the country of Assyria. Assyria destroyed Israel in 722–721 B.C. is a big city. I have heard about the many evil things the people are doing there. So go there and tell them to stop doing such evil things.”
3But Jonah tried to run away from the Lord. He went to Joppa#1:3 Joppa A town on the coast of Israel by the Mediterranean Sea. and found a boat that was going to the faraway city of Tarshish. Jonah paid money for the trip and went on the boat. He wanted to travel with the people on this boat to Tarshish and run away from the Lord.
The Great Storm
4But the Lord brought a great storm on the sea. The wind made the sea very rough. The storm was very strong, and the boat was ready to break apart. 5The men wanted to make the boat lighter to stop it from sinking, so they began throwing the cargo#1:5 cargo The Hebrew word can mean “dishes,” “jars,” or “tools.” Here, this could mean all the jars and boxes the boat carried on its way to Tarshish or the rigging and other heavy tools on the boat. into the sea. The sailors were very afraid. Each man began praying to his god.
Jonah had gone down into the boat to lie down, and he went to sleep. 6The captain of the boat saw Jonah and said, “Wake up! Why are you sleeping? Pray to your god! Maybe your god will hear your prayer and save us!”
What Caused This Storm?
7Then the men said to each other, “We should throw lots to find out why this is happening to us.”
So the men threw lots. The lots showed that the troubles came to them because of Jonah. 8Then the men said to Jonah, “It is your fault that this terrible thing is happening to us. Tell us, what have you done? What is your job? Where do you come from? What is your country? Who are your people?”
9Jonah said to them, “I am a Hebrew. I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the land and the sea.”
10Jonah told the men he was running away from the Lord. The men became very afraid when they learned this. They asked Jonah, “What terrible thing did you do against your God?”
11The wind and the waves of the sea were becoming stronger and stronger. So the men said to Jonah, “What should we do to save ourselves? What should we do to you to make the sea calm?”
12Jonah said to the men, “I know I did wrong—that is why the storm came on the sea. So throw me into the sea, and the sea will become calm.”
13Instead, the men tried to row the ship back to the shore, but they couldn’t do it. The wind and the waves of the sea were too strong—and they were becoming stronger and stronger.
Jonah’s Punishment
14So the men cried to the Lord, “Lord, please don’t say we are guilty of killing an innocent man. Please don’t make us die for killing him. We know you are the Lord, and you will do whatever you want.”
15So the men threw Jonah into the sea. The storm stopped, and the sea became calm. 16When the men saw this, they began to fear and respect the Lord. They offered a sacrifice and made special promises to the Lord.
17When Jonah fell into the sea, the Lord chose a very big fish to swallow Jonah. He was in the stomach of the fish for three days and three nights.
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Jonah 1: ERV
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Jonas (Jonah) 1
1
1Now the word of the Lord came to Jonas the son of Amathi, saying:
2Arise, and go to Ninive the great city, and preach in it: for the wickedness thereof is come up before me.
3And Jonas rose up to flee into Tharsis from the face of the Lord, and he went down to Joppe, and found a ship going to Tharsis: and he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them to Tharsis from the face of the Lord.
4But the Lord sent a great wind into the sea: and a great tempest was raised in the sea, and the ship was in danger to be broken.
5And the mariners were afraid, and the men cried to their god: and they cast forth the wares that were in the ship, into the sea, to lighten it of them: and Jones went down into the inner part of the ship, and fell into a deep sleep.
6And the shipmaster came to him, and said to him: Why art thou fast asleep? rise up, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think of us, that we may not perish.
7And they said every one to his fellow: Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know why this evil is upon us. And they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonas.
8And they said to him: Tell us for what cause this evil is upon us, what is thy business? of what country art thou? and whither goest thou? or of what people art thou?
9And he said to them: I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord the God of heaven, who made both the sea and the dry land.
10And the men were greatly afraid, and they said to him: Why hast thou done this? (for the men knew that he fled from the face of the Lord: because he had told them.)
11And they said to him: What shall we do to thee, that the sea may be calm to us? for the sea flowed and swelled.
12And he said to them: Take me up, and cast me into the sea, and the sea shall be calm to you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.
13And the men rowed hard to return to land, but they were not able: because the sea tossed and swelled upon them.
14And they cried to the Lord, and said: We beseech thee, O Lord, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee.
15And they took Jonas, and cast him into the sea, and the sea ceased from raging.
16And the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and sacrificed victims to the Lord, and made vows.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.