Jonah 1

Revised Geneva Translation

1 The Word of the LORD also came to Jonah, the son of Amittai, saying,

² “Arise! Go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it. For their wickedness has come up before Me.”

³ But Jonah rose up to flee into Tarshish—from the presence of the LORD—and went down to Japho. And he found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid its fare and went down into it, so that he might go with them to Tarshish, from the presence of the LORD.

⁴ But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea; and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken.

⁵ Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried to his god and cast the wares that were in the ship, into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah had gone down into the sides of the ship. And he lay down and was fast asleep.

⁶ So the shipmaster came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, O sleeper? Arise! Call upon your God! Perhaps God will think upon us, so that we do not perish!”

⁷ And they said to one another, “Come, and let us cast lots, so 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 to him, “Tell us for whose cause this evil is upon us? What is your occupation? And from where do you come? Which is your country? And of what people are you?”

⁹ And he answered them, “I am a Hebrew. And I fear the LORD God of Heaven, Who has made the sea and the dry land.”

¹⁰ Then the men were very 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, so that the sea may be calm to us!? (for the sea continued to be tempestuous)

¹² And he said to them, “Take me; and cast me into the sea! So shall the sea be calm to you! For I know it is for my sake that this great tempest is upon you!”

¹³ Nevertheless, the men rowed to bring it to the land. But they could not. For the tempest in the sea continued.

¹⁴ Therefore, they cried to the LORD, and said, “We beg You, O LORD! We beg You! Let us not perish for this man’s life! And do not lay innocent blood upon us! For You, O LORD, have done as it pleased You!”

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

¹⁶ Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to 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 for three days and three nights.