Jonah 1

One day long ago, God’s Word came to Jonah, Amittai’s son: “Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They’re in a bad way and I can’t ignore it any longer.”

Now the word of the Lord came to ^[a]Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

“Go to ^[b]Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim [judgment] against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.”

But Jonah got up and went the other direction to Tarshish, running away from God. He went down to the port of Joppa and found a ship headed for Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board, joining those going to Tarshish—as far away from God as he could get.

But Jonah ran away to Tarshish to escape from the presence of the Lord [and his duty as His prophet]. He went down to ^[c]Joppa and found a ship going to ^[d]Tarshish [the most remote of the Phoenician trading cities]. So he paid the fare and went down into the ship to go with them to Tarshish away from the presence of the Lord.

But God sent a huge storm at sea, the waves towering.

The ship was about to break into pieces. The sailors were terrified. They called out in desperation to their gods. They threw everything they were carrying overboard to lighten the ship. Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship to take a nap. He was sound asleep. The captain came to him and said, “What’s this? Sleeping! Get up! Pray to your god! Maybe your god will see we’re in trouble and rescue us.”

But the Lord hurled a great wind toward the sea, and there was a violent tempest on the sea so that the ship was about to break up.

Then the sailors were afraid, and each man cried out to his god; and to lighten the ship [and diminish the danger] they threw the ship’s cargo into the sea. But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship and had lain down and was sound asleep.

So the captain came up to him and said, “How can you stay asleep? Get up! Call on your god! Perhaps your god will give a thought to us so that we will not perish.”

Then the sailors said to one another, “Let’s get to the bottom of this. Let’s draw straws to identify the culprit on this ship who’s responsible for this disaster.”

So they drew straws. Jonah got the short straw.

And they said to another, “Come, ^[e]let us cast lots, so we may learn who is to blame for this disaster.” So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.

Then they grilled him: “Confess. Why this disaster? What is your work? Where do you come from? What country? What family?”

Then they said to him, “Now tell us! ^[f]Who is to blame for this disaster? What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country?”

He told them, “I’m a Hebrew. I worship God, the God of heaven who made sea and land.”

So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I [reverently] fear and worship the Lord, the God of heaven, ^[g]who made the sea and the dry land.”

At that, the men were frightened, really frightened, and said, “What on earth have you done!” As Jonah talked, the sailors realized that he was running away from God.

Then the men became extremely frightened and said to him, “How could you do this?” For the men knew that he was running from the presence of the Lord, ^[h]because he had told them.

They said to him, “What are we going to do with you—to get rid of this storm?” By this time the sea was wild, totally out of control.

Then they said to him, “What should we do to you, so that the sea will become calm for us?”—for the sea was becoming more and more violent.

Jonah said, “Throw me overboard, into the sea. Then the storm will stop. It’s all my fault. I’m the cause of the storm. Get rid of me and you’ll get rid of the storm.”

Jonah said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will become calm for you, for I know that it is because of me that this great storm has come upon you.”

But no. The men tried rowing back to shore. They made no headway. The storm only got worse and worse, wild and raging.

Nevertheless, the men rowed hard [breaking through the waves] to return to land, but they could not, because the sea became even more violent [surging higher] against them.

Then they prayed to God, “O God! Don’t let us drown because of this man’s life, and don’t blame us for his death. You are God. Do what you think is best.”

Then they called on the Lord and said, “Please, O Lord, do not let us perish because of taking this man’s life, and do not make us accountable for innocent blood; for You, O Lord, have done as You pleased.”

They took Jonah and threw him overboard. Immediately the sea was quieted down.

So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging.

The sailors were impressed, no longer terrified by the sea, but in awe of God. They worshiped God, offered a sacrifice, and made vows.

Then the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

Then God assigned a huge fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah was in the fish’s belly three days and nights.

Now the Lord had prepared (appointed, destined) a great ^[i]fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the stomach of the fish ^[j]three days and three nights.