¹ Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah, the son of Amittai, saying,

² Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

³ But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD and went down to Joppa, and he found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare thereof and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish [fleeing] from the presence of the LORD.

⁴ But the LORD caused a great wind to rise up in the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship thought she would be broken.

⁵ And the mariners were afraid, and everyone called unto his god, and they cast forth the vessels that [were] in the ship into the sea, to lighten [it] of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; he lay and was fast asleep.

⁶ So the shipmaster came to him and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that he will have compassion upon us that we not perish.

⁷ And each one said to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots that we may know for whose cause this evil [is] upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

⁸ Then they said unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, why this evil [is come] upon us; What [is] thine occupation? and from where dost thou come? what [is] thy country? and of what people [art] thou?

⁹ And he said unto them, I [am] a Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, God of the heavens, who has made the sea and the dry [land].

¹⁰ Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD because he had told them.

¹¹ Then they said unto him, What shall we do unto thee that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea rose [higher] and was wroth.

¹² And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you; for I know that for my sake this great tempest [is] upon you.

¹³ Nevertheless the men rowed hard to turn the ship to land, but they could not; for the sea rose [higher] and was wroth against them.

¹⁴ And they cried unto the LORD and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for the soul of this man, and do not lay upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.

¹⁵ So they took up Jonah and cast him forth into the sea; and the sea ceased from her raging.

¹⁶ Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD and made vows.

¹⁷ Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.: