1 Jonah flees to Tarshish
1 Now the word of the Lord came unto [a]Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that Gen. 10:11great city, and cry against it; for Gen. 18:20their 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 Josh. 19:46Joppa; 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 Gen. 4:16from the presence of the Lord.
4 But Ps. 107:25the Lord [b]sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship [c]was like to be broken.
5 Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down 1 Sam. 24:3into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.
6 So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, Ps. 107:28call upon thy God, Joel 2:14if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.
7 And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us Josh. 7:14;1 Sam. 14:41cast 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 said they unto him, Josh. 7:19Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?
9 And he said unto them, I am a Hebrew; and I fear [d]the Lord, the God of heaven, Ps. 146:6;Acts 17:24which hath made the sea and the dry land.
10 Then were the men [e]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 said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea [f]may be calm unto us? for the sea [g][h]wrought, and was tempestuous.
12 And he said unto them, John 11:50Take 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 [i]rowed hard to bring it to the land; Prov. 21:30but they could not: for the sea [j][k]wrought, and was tempestuous against them.
14 Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and Deut. 21:8lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, Ps. 115:3hast done as it pleased thee.
15 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: Ps. 89:9;Luke 8:24and the sea [l]ceased from her raging.
16 Then the men Mark 4:41;Acts 5:11feared the Lord exceedingly, and [m]], and vowed vowsoffered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.
17 Prayer and deliverance of Jonah
17 Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Mat. 12:40;Luke 11:30Jonah was in the [n]belly of the fish three days and three nights.
