Jonah

(Jonah 1:1) Now the Word of Jehovah came to Jonah, the son of Amittai, saying,

(Jonah 1:2) Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and cry out against it; for their evil has come up before Me.

(Jonah 1:3) But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah. And he went down to Joppa, and he found a ship going to Tarshish. And he paid its fare and went down into it in order to go with them to Tarshish, from the presence of Jehovah.

(Jonah 1:4) But Jehovah hurled a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that they thought the ship would break in pieces.

(Jonah 1:5) And the sailors were afraid, and each man cried to his god. And they threw out the ship’s implements into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship; and he lay down, and was sound asleep.

(Jonah 1:6) And the captain came near to him and said to him, What is this, O sleeper? Rise up and cry out to your God! Perhaps your God will think on us, and we will not perish.

(Jonah 1:7) And they said one to another, Come and let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us. And they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.

(Jonah 1:8) And they said to him, Please tell us on account of whom is this evil upon us? What is your occupation? And from where do you come? What is your land, and of what people are you?

(Jonah 1:9) And he said to them, I am a Hebrew. And I fear Jehovah the God of Heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land.

(Jonah 1:10) Then the men were terrified with great fear and said to him, What is this you have done? For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of Jehovah, because he had told them.

(Jonah 1:11) Then they said to him, What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us? For the sea was going on and being stormy.

(Jonah 1:12) And he said to them, Take me up and throw me out into the sea. And the sea will be calm for you. For I know that this great storm is upon you because of me.

(Jonah 1:13) Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they were not able, for the sea was going on and being stormy against them.

(Jonah 1:14) Therefore they cried out to Jehovah, and said, We beseech You, O Jehovah, we beseech You, do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not lay innocent blood on us. For You, O Jehovah, have done as it pleased You.

(Jonah 1:15) And they lifted Jonah up and threw him into the sea. And the sea ceased from its raging.

(Jonah 1:16) Then the men revered Jehovah with great fear and offered a sacrifice to Jehovah, and vowed vows.

(Jonah 1:17) Now Jehovah had appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

(Jonah 2:1) Then Jonah prayed to Jehovah his God out of the belly of the fish.

(Jonah 2:2) And he said, I cried out to Jehovah because of my distress, and He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried for help, and You heard my voice.

(Jonah 2:3) For You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the streams surrounded me; all Your breakers and Your waves passed over me.

(Jonah 2:4) And I said, I am cast off from Your sight; yet I will again look to Your holy temple.

(Jonah 2:5) Waters encompassed me, even to my soul; the depth closed around me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.

(Jonah 2:6) I went down to the bases of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me forever. Yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O Jehovah my God.

(Jonah 2:7) When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Jehovah; and my prayer came to You, to Your holy temple.

(Jonah 2:8) Those who observe empty vanities forsake their faithfulness;

(Jonah 2:9) but I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will make good that which I have vowed. Salvation is from Jehovah!

(Jonah 2:10) And Jehovah spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out onto the dry land.

(Jonah 3:1) And the Word of Jehovah came to Jonah the second time, saying,

(Jonah 3:2) Rise up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out to it the proclamation that I am instructing you.

(Jonah 3:3) And Jonah rose up and went to Nineveh according to the Word of Jehovah. And Nineveh was a great city before God, of three days’ journey.

(Jonah 3:4) And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey. And he cried out and said, Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown!

(Jonah 3:5) And the men of Nineveh believed in God, and they called a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.

(Jonah 3:6) And the word reached even to the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he took off his robe and covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes.

(Jonah 3:7) And he cried and proclaimed in Nineveh by the decree of the king and of his nobles, saying, Do not let man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them feed nor let them drink water.

(Jonah 3:8) But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. And let them call mightily to God. And let them each one turn from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.

(Jonah 3:9) Who knows if God may turn, and have compassion, and turn away from His burning anger, that we not perish?

(Jonah 3:10) And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. And God was moved to pity with regard to the evil that He had spoken to do to them, and He did not do it.

(Jonah 4:1) But it was a great evil in Jonah’s eyes, and he trembled and became furious.

(Jonah 4:2) And he prayed to Jehovah, and said, Please, O Jehovah, was this not my word while I was still in my own country? On account of this, I fled to Tarshish before, for I knew that You are a gracious Mighty God and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and One who is moved to pity regarding inflicting evil.

(Jonah 4:3) And now, O Jehovah, please take my life from me. For it is better for me to die than to live.

(Jonah 4:4) And Jehovah said, Is it right for you to be angry?

(Jonah 4:5) And Jonah went out from the city and sat to the east of the city. And there he made a booth for himself and sat under it in the shade until he should see what would become of the city.

(Jonah 4:6) And Jehovah God appointed a plant, and it came up over Jonah to be shade over his head, in order to deliver him from his misery. And Jonah rejoiced over the plant with great joy.

(Jonah 4:7) But God appointed a worm early as the next day dawned, and it struck the plant, and it withered.

(Jonah 4:8) And it happened when the sun rose, that God appointed a scorching east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he fainted; and he begged for his soul to die. And he said, It is better for me to die than to live.

(Jonah 4:9) And God said to Jonah, Is it right for you to be angry over the plant? And he said, It is right for me to be angry, even to death.

(Jonah 4:10) Then Jehovah said, You have had pity on the plant for which you did not labor, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night;

(Jonah 4:11) and should I not have pity on Nineveh, the great city in which are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between the right and the left hand, and many cattle?