1NOW THE word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying,H1697H3068H3124H1121H573H559 2Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.H6965H3212H5210H1419H5892H7121H7451H5927H6440 3But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from being in the presence of the Lord [as His prophet] and went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish [the most remote of the Phoenician trading places then known]. So he paid the appointed fare and went down into the ship to go with them to Tarshish from being in the presence of the Lord [as His servant and minister].H3124H6965H1272H8659H6440H3068H3381H3305H4672H591H935H8659H5414H7939H3381H935H8659H6440H3068 4But the Lord sent out a great wind upon the sea, and there was a violent tempest on the sea so that the ship was about to be broken.H3068H2904H1419H7307H3220H1419H5591H3220H591H2803H7665 5Then the mariners were afraid, and each man cried to his god; and they cast the goods that were in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep.H4419H3372H2199H376H430H2904H3627H591H3220H7043H3124H3381H3411H5600H7901H7290 6So the captain came and said to him, What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call upon your God! Perhaps your God will give a thought to us so that we shall not perish.H7227H2259H7126H559H7290H6965H7121H430H430H6245H6 7And they each said to one another, Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us. So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.H559H376H7453H3212H5307H1486H3045H7945H7451H5307H1486H1486H5307H3124 8Then they said to him, Tell us, we pray you, on whose account has this evil come upon us? What is your occupation? Where did you come from? And what is your country and nationality?H559H5046H7451H4399H370H935H776H5971 9And he said to them, I am a Hebrew, and I [reverently] fear {and} worship the Lord, the God of heaven, Who made the sea and the dry land.H559H5680H3373H3068H430H8064H6213H3220H3004 10Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, What is this that you have done? For the men knew that he fled from being in the presence of the Lord [as His prophet and servant], because he had told them.H582H1419H3374H3372H559H6213H582H3045H1272H6440H3068H5046 11Then they said to him, What shall we do to you, that the sea may subside {and} be calm for us? For the sea became more and more [violently] tempestuous.H559H6213H3220H8367H3220H1980H5590 12And [Jonah] said to them, Take me up and cast me into the sea; so shall the sea become calm for you, for I know that it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.H559H5375H2904H3220H3220H8367H3045H7945H1419H5591 13Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring the ship to the land, but they could not, for the sea became more and more violent against them.H582H2864H7725H3004H3201H3220H1980H5590 14Therefore they cried to the Lord, We beseech You, O Lord, we beseech You, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood; for You, O Lord, have done as it pleased You.H7121H3068H559H577H3068H6H376H5315H5414H5355H1818H3068H6213H2654 15So they took up Jonah and cast him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.H5375H3124H2904H3220H3220H5975H2197 16Then the men [reverently and worshipfully] feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.H582H3372H3068H1419H3374H2076H2077H3068H5087H5088 17Now the Lord had prepared {and} appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.H3068H4487H1419H1709H1104H3124H3124H4578H1709H7969H3117H7969H3915