Jonah

Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

1God spoke to a man named Jonah. Jonah's father was named Amittai. God said:

2Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

2"Get up and go to the big city of Nineveh. Tell the people there that they have done wrong. I have seen all the bad things they do."

3But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; 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 from the presence of the LORD.

3But Jonah got up and ran the other way. He wanted to get far from the LORD. He went down to the town of Joppa. There he found a ship sailing to a faraway place called Tarshish. He paid for a ticket and got on the ship. He wanted to sail away from the LORD.

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

4But the LORD sent a strong wind onto the sea. A big storm came. The ship was almost breaking apart.

5Then 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 into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.

5The sailors were scared. Each one prayed to his own god. They threw the boxes and bags off the ship. They wanted the ship to be lighter. But Jonah had gone down deep inside the ship. He was lying there, sound asleep.

6So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.

6The captain of the ship came and found him. He said, "How can you sleep? Get up and pray to your God! Maybe your God will think about us, so we do not die."

7And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

7The sailors said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots. Then we will know who caused this trouble." So they cast lots, and the lot pointed to Jonah.

NoteTo "cast lots" was like drawing straws or rolling dice. People did it to help them choose, and they believed God guided the answer.

8Then said they unto him, Tell 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?

8So they said to him, "Please tell us. Who caused this trouble for us? What is your job? Where did you come from? What country is yours? Who are your people?"

9And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.

9Jonah said, "I am a Hebrew. I worship the LORD, the God of the heavens. He made the sea and the dry land."

10Then were the men 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.

10Then the men were even more scared. They said, "What have you done?" They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had told them so.

11Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.

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

12And he said unto them, Take 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.

12Jonah said, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will grow calm for you. I know this big storm came because of me."

13Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.

13But the men did not do it yet. They rowed hard to reach dry land. They could not do it. The sea kept getting rougher against them.

14Wherefore 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 lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.

14So they prayed to the LORD. They said, "Please, LORD, please! Do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not blame us for hurting a man who did no wrong to us. You, LORD, have done what you wanted."

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

15So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea. The wild sea grew calm.

16Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.

16Then the men were filled with awe for the LORD. They gave him a sacrifice, a gift given to God. They also made promises to him.

17Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

17The LORD had already sent a great fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.