Jonah 1

Jonah’s Disobedience

1 Now the word of the Lord came to *2 Kin. 14:25; Matt. 12:39–41; 16:4; Luke 11:29, 30, 32Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 "Arise, go to *Is. 37:37Nineveh, that *Gen. 10:11, 12; 2 Kin. 19:36; Jon. 4:11; Nah. 1:1; Zeph. 2:13great city, and cry out against it; for *Gen. 18:20; Hos. 7:2their wickedness has come up before Me." 3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to *Josh. 19:46; 2 Chr. 2:16; Ezra 3:7; Acts 9:36, 43Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to *Is. 23:1Tarshish *Gen. 4:16; Job 1:12; 2:7from the presence of the Lord.

The Storm at Sea

4 But *Ps. 107:25the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.

5 Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down *1 Sam. 24:3into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.

6 So the captain came to him, and said to him, "What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, *Ps. 107:28call on your God; *Joel 2:14perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish."

7 And they said to one another, "Come, let us *Josh. 7:14; 1 Sam. 14:41, 42; Prov. 16:33cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble hascome upon us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, *Josh. 7:19; 1 Sam. 14:43"Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?"

9 So he said to them, "I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, *(Neh. 9:6); Ps. 146:6; Acts 17:24who made the sea and the dry land."

Jonah Thrown into the Sea

10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, "Why have you done this?" For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. 11 Then they said to him, "What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?"—for the sea was growing more tempestuous.

12 And he said to them, *John 11:50"Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me."

13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, *(Prov. 21:30)but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, "We pray, O Lord, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and *Deut. 21:8do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O Lord, *Ps. 115:3; (Dan. 4:35)have done as it pleased You." 15 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, *(Ps. 89:9; 107:29); Luke 8:24and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men *Mark 4:41; Acts 5:11feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows.

Jonah’s Prayer and Deliverance

17 Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And *(Matt. 12:40; Luke 11:30)Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.