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The Prophet Jonah

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- Chapter 1 -

(Nahum 1:1–15)
1
One day Yahweh said to the prophet Jonah son of Amittai,
2
“I have seen how wicked the people are who live in the great city of Nineveh. Therefore go there and warn the people that I am planning to destroy their city because of their sins.”
3
But instead of going to Nineveh, Jonah went in the direction of the city of Tarshish, to get away from Yahweh. He went down to the city of Joppa. There he paid the money to travel on a ship that was going to the city of Tarshish, and he got on.

The Great Storm

(Acts 27:13–26)
4
Then he went down to a lower deck, lay down, and went to sleep. But Yahweh caused a very strong wind to blow, and there was such a violent storm that the sailors thought that the ship would break apart.
5
The sailors were very frightened. Because of that, they each started to pray to their own gods to save them. Then they threw the cargo into the sea to make the ship lighter so that it would not sink easily.
6
Then the captain went down to where Jonah was sleeping soundly. He awoke him and said to him, “How can you sleep during a storm like this? Get up and pray to your god! Perhaps he will pity us and save us, so that we will not drown!”
7
Then the sailors said to each other, “We need to cast lots, to determine who has caused all this trouble!” So they did that, and the lot indicated Jonah.
8
So various ones of them asked him, “Who is the one who has caused us all this trouble?” “What work do you do?” “Where are you coming from?” “What country and what people do you belong to?”
9
Jonah replied, “I am a Hebrew. I worship Yahweh God, who lives in heaven. He is the one who made the sea and the land.
10
I am running away from Yahweh, he is the one who called me to be a prophet.” After the sailors heard that, they were terrified. So they said to him, “Do you realize what trouble you have caused?”

Jonah Cast into the Sea

11
The storm kept getting worse and the waves kept getting bigger. So one of the sailors asked Jonah, “What should we do with you in order to make the sea become calm for us?”
12
He replied, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea. If you do that, it will become calm for you. I know that this terrible storm happened because I did not do what Yahweh told me to do.”
13
But the sailors did not want to do that. Instead, they tried hard to row the ship back to the land. But they could not do that, because the storm continued to get worse.
14
Therefore they prayed to Yahweh, and one of them prayed, “O Yahweh, please do not say we are guilty if we make this man die; please do not kill us. O Yahweh, you have done what you wanted to do.”
15
Then they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea. Then the sea became calm.
16
When that happened, the sailors became greatly awed at Yahweh’s power. So they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh, and they strongly promised him that they would do things that would please him.
17
While they were doing that, Yahweh sent a huge fish that swallowed Jonah. Then Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.
(Nahum 1:1–15)
1
Now the LORD’s(a) word came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2
Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.”
3
But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

The Great Storm

(Acts 27:13–26)
4
But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty storm on the sea, so that the ship was likely to break up.
5
Then the mariners were afraid, and every man cried to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the ship and he was laying down, and was fast asleep.
6
So the ship master came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God!(b) Maybe your God (c) will notice us, so that we won’t perish.”
7
They all said to each other, “Come! Let’s cast lots, that we may know who is responsible for this evil that is on us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
8
Then they asked him, “Tell us, please, for whose cause this evil is on us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? Of what people are you?”
9
He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God (d) of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land.”
10
Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “What have you done?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.

Jonah Cast into the Sea

11
Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may be calm to us?” For the sea grew more and more stormy.
12
He said to them, “Take me up, and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will be calm for you; for I know that because of me this great storm is on you.”
13
Nevertheless the men rowed hard to get them back to the land; but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy against them.
14
Therefore they cried to the LORD, and said, “We beg you, LORD, we beg you, don’t let us die for this man’s life, and don’t lay on us innocent blood; for you, LORD, have done as it pleased you.”
15
So they took up Jonah and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging.
16
Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.
17
The LORD prepared a huge fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Footnotes

(a)1:1 When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name.
(b)1:6 or, gods
(c)1:6 or, gods
(d)1:9 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).