Shared Word Translation
Jonah 1
Jonah Flees from the LORD
Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” But Jonah arose 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, away from the presence of the LORD.
The Great Storm
But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty storm upon the sea, so that the ship seemed likely to break apart. Then the sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and fallen into a deep sleep. So the captain came to him and said to him, “What are you doing, sleeper? Arise! Call upon your god. Perhaps the god will give thought to us, that we may not perish.”
And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. Then they said to him, “Tell us, on whose account has this evil come upon us? What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? And from what people are you?” He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”
Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them. Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may become calm for us?” For the sea was growing more and more tempestuous. He said to them, “Take me up and throw me into the sea, and the sea will become calm for you, for I know that on my account this great storm has come upon you.”
Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to return to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. Therefore they cried out to the LORD and said, “O LORD, let us not perish for this man's life, and do not place upon us innocent blood, for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you.” So they took up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.
The Great Fish
And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.