约拿违背耶和华

耶和华对亚米太的儿子约拿说: “你起来前往尼尼微大城,大声警告那里的居民,因为他们的罪恶滔天,已经达到我面前。” 可是,约拿却起身逃往他施,想躲避耶和华。他到了约帕港,看见一艘要开往他施的船,就付了船费,上了船,想和众人一起去他施,好躲避耶和华。

然而,耶和华使海面起了狂风,滔天巨浪几乎把船打成碎片。 水手们非常害怕,纷纷呼求自己的神,又把船上的货物全都抛进海里,以减轻重量。这时候,约拿已下到底舱,躺在那里呼呼大睡。 船长来到约拿身边对他说:“你这个人,怎么这时候还在睡觉!快起来祈求你的神吧,也许你的神会怜悯我们,饶我们一命。”

后来,船上的人彼此商量说:“来,我们抽签,看看这场灾难是谁惹来的。”于是他们就抽签,结果抽中了约拿。 众人问他:“请告诉我们,这场灾难是谁惹来的?你是做什么的?从哪里来?是哪一国、哪一族的人?” 约拿回答说:“我是希伯来人,我敬畏耶和华,祂是创造海洋陆地、掌管诸天的上帝。” 10 之后,他就把怎样逃避耶和华的事告诉他们。众人知道后,万分恐惧,问他:“你怎么做出这种事?”

11 那时,风浪越来越大,他们便对约拿说:“我们要怎样处置你,才能使风浪平静呢?” 12 约拿对他们说:“我知道这场风暴是因我而起的,你们把我抬起来抛进海里,风浪自然会平静。” 13 然而船上的人还是拚命划船,希望把船划向岸边,可是没有成功,因为风浪实在太大了。 14 他们只好呼求耶和华,说:“耶和华啊,求你不要因这个人的性命而毁灭我们,不要因我们杀害无辜的人而怪罪我们,因为你耶和华按自己的旨意行事。” 15 然后他们把约拿抬起来抛进海里,狂风巨浪立刻平静了。 16 众人都极其敬畏耶和华,向祂献祭,并且许愿。

17 耶和华安排了一条大鱼,把约拿吞下,他在鱼腹里度过三天三夜。

Jonah’s Disobedience

Now the word of the Lord came to (A)Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to (B)Nineveh, that (C)great city, and cry out against it; for (D)their wickedness has come up before Me.” But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to (E)Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to (F)Tarshish (G)from the presence of the Lord.

The Storm at Sea

But (H)the Lord [a]sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.

Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten [b]the load. But Jonah had gone down (I)into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.

So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, (J)call on your God; (K)perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”

And they said to one another, “Come, let us (L)cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, (M)“Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?”

So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear [c]the Lord, the God of heaven, (N)who made the sea and the dry land.

Jonah Thrown into the Sea

10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. 11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?”—for the sea was growing more tempestuous.

12 And he said to them, (O)“Pick me up and [d]throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.”

13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, (P)but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, “We pray, O Lord, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and (Q)do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O Lord, (R)have done as it pleased You.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, (S)and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men (T)feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows.

Jonah’s Prayer and Deliverance

17 Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And (U)Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Footnotes

  1. Jonah 1:4 Lit. hurled
  2. Jonah 1:5 Lit. from upon them
  3. Jonah 1:9 Heb. YHWH
  4. Jonah 1:12 Lit. hurl

Jonah Flees From the Lord

The word of the Lord came to Jonah(A) son of Amittai:(B) “Go to the great city of Nineveh(C) and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

But Jonah ran(D) away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish(E). He went down to Joppa,(F) where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.(G)

Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.(H) All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.(I)

But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call(J) on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.”(K)

Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.”(L) They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.(M) So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”

He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord,(N) the God of heaven,(O) who made the sea(P) and the dry land.(Q)

10 This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)

11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”

12 “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”(R)

13 Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before.(S) 14 Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man,(T) for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.”(U) 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.(V) 16 At this the men greatly feared(W) the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows(X) to him.

Jonah’s Prayer

17 Now the Lord provided(Y) a huge fish to swallow Jonah,(Z) and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.