 1 The Word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, 2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city and cry against it. For their wickedness+ has come before me. 3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish away from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and he found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into it in order to go with them to Tarshish, away from the sight of the Lord. 4 But the Lord hurled a great wind onto the sea and there was a great storm in the sea so that the ship was about to be broken. 5 Then the seamen were afraid and each one cried out to his god. They threw overboard the ship's cargo into the sea in order to lighten it. But then Jonah went down into the hold of the ship and went fast asleep. 6 Then the shipmaster came to him and said, What are you doing, sleeper? Get up and call on your God so that He will notice us so that we do not perish. 7 Then everyone said, Come, let us cast lots so that we may know who has caused this evil to come upon us. So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 So they said to him, Tell us, for what reason have you caused this evil to come upon us? What is your business and where did you come from? What is your country and from what people are you? 9 Jonah said to them, I am a Hebrew and I fear the Lord, the God of Heaven who has made the sea and the dry land. 10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid with a great fear, and they said to him, What have done? For the men knew that Jonah had fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them that. 11 Then they said to him, What shall we do to you so that the sea might be calm for us? For the sea was raging and tempestuous. 12 He said to them, Throw me out into the sea and the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great storm has come upon you because of me. 13 But the men rowed hard to bring it to the land, but they could not, for the sea was raging and tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore, they cried out to the Lord and said, We beseech you, O Lord, we beg you, Do not let us perish because of this man's life. Do not lay on us innocent blood. For you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you. 15 So they cast Jonah out into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. 17 Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
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