Jonah’s Flight

1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai:^{(A) 2} “Get up!^(B) Go to the great city^(C) of Nineveh^(D) and preach against it^(E) because their evil^(F) has come up before me.”^{(G) 3} Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish^(H) from the Lord’s presence.^(I) He went down^(J) to Joppa^(K) and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the Lord’s presence.

⁴ But the Lord threw^(L) a great wind onto the sea,^(M) and such a great storm arose on the sea that the ship threatened to break apart. ⁵ The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his god.^(N) They threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to lighten the load.^(O) Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel and had stretched out and fallen into a deep sleep.^(P)

⁶ The captain approached him and said, “What are you doing sound asleep? Get up! Call to your god.^[a](Q) Maybe this god will consider us,^(R) and we won’t perish.”

⁷ “Come on!” the sailors said to each other. “Let’s cast lots.^(S) Then we’ll know who is to blame for this trouble we’re in.” So they cast lots, and the lot singled out Jonah.^{(T) 8} Then they said to him, “Tell us who is to blame for this trouble we’re in.^(U) What is your business,^(V) and where are you from? What is your country, and what people are you from?”

⁹ He answered them, “I’m a Hebrew.^(W) I worship^[b] the Lord,^(X) the God of the heavens,^(Y) who made the sea^(Z) and the dry land.”

¹⁰ Then the men were seized by a great fear and said to him, “What have you done?” The men knew he was fleeing from the Lord’s presence^(AA) because he had told them. ¹¹ So they said to him, “What should we do to you so that the sea will calm down for us?” For the sea was getting worse and worse.

¹² He answered them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea so that it will calm down for you, for I know that I’m to blame^(AB) for this great storm that is against you.” ¹³ Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they couldn’t because the sea was raging against them more and more.

¹⁴ So they called out to the Lord,^(AC) “Please, Lord, don’t let us perish because of this man’s life, and don’t charge us with innocent blood! For you, Lord, have done just as you pleased.”^{(AD) 15} Then they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging.^{(AE) 16} The men were seized by great fear of the Lord,^(AF) and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.^(AG)

¹⁷ The Lord appointed a great fish^(AH) to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.^(AI)

Jonah’s Prayer

2 Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish:^(AJ)

¹⁰ Then the Lord commanded the fish,^(BJ) and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Greeting

¹ Jude,^(A) a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James:

To those who are the called,^(B) loved^[a](C) by God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.^(D)

² May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.^(E)

Jude’s Purpose in Writing

³ Dear friends, although I was eager to write you about the salvation we share,^(F) I found it necessary to write, appealing to you to contend for the faith^(G) that was delivered^(H) to the saints once for all. ⁴ For some people, who were designated for this judgment long ago,^[b](I) have come in by stealth;^(J) they are ungodly,^(K) turning the grace of our God into sensuality and denying^(L) Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord.

Apostates: Past and Present

⁵ Now I want to remind you, although you came to know all these things once and for all, that Jesus^[c] saved a people out of Egypt and later destroyed those who did not believe;^{(M) 6} and the angels^(N) who did not keep their own position but abandoned their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains in deep darkness for the judgment on the great day. ⁷ Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah^(O) and the surrounding towns committed sexual immorality and perversions,^[d] and serve as an example by undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.^(P)

⁸ In the same way these people—relying on their dreams—defile their flesh, reject authority, and slander glorious ones.^{(Q) 9} Yet when Michael^(R) the archangel^(S) was disputing with the devil^(T) in an argument about Moses’s^(U) body, he did not dare utter a slanderous condemnation against him but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” ¹⁰ But these people blaspheme anything they do not understand. And what they do understand by instinct—like irrational animals—by these things they are destroyed. ¹¹ Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain,^(V) have plunged into Balaam’s error^(W) for profit, and have perished in Korah’s rebellion.^(X)

The Apostates’ Doom

¹² These people are dangerous reefs^[e] at your love feasts^(Y) as they eat with you without reverence. They are shepherds who only look after themselves. They are waterless clouds carried along by winds;^(Z) trees in late autumn—fruitless, twice dead and uprooted. ¹³ They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shameful deeds; wandering stars^(AA) for whom the blackness of darkness^(AB) is reserved forever.^(AC)

¹⁴ It was about these that Enoch,^(AD) in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied: “Look! The Lord comes with tens of thousands of his holy ones^{(AE) 15} to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly^(AF) concerning all the ungodly acts that they have done in an ungodly way, and concerning all the harsh things ungodly sinners have said against him.” ¹⁶ These people are discontented grumblers, living according to their desires;^(AG) their mouths utter arrogant words, flattering^(AH) people for their own advantage.

¹⁷ But you, dear friends, remember what was predicted by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ They told you, “In the end time^(AI) there will be scoffers^(AJ) living according to their own ungodly desires.” ¹⁹ These people create divisions and are worldly,^(AK) not having the Spirit.

Exhortation and Benediction

²⁰ But you, dear friends, as you build yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,^{(AL) 21} keep yourselves in the love of God,^(AM) waiting expectantly for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. ²² Have mercy on those who waver; ²³ save others by snatching them from the fire;^(AN) have mercy on others but with fear,^(AO) hating^(AP) even the garment^(AQ) defiled by the flesh.

²⁴ Now to him^(AR) who is able to protect you from stumbling^(AS) and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish^(AT) and with great joy, ²⁵ to the only^(AU) God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord,^[f] be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time,^[g] now and forever. Amen.

Psalm 140

Prayer for Rescue

For the choir director. A psalm of David.