1 The word of the Lord came to aJonah the son of Amittai saying, 2 "Arise, go to aNineveh the great city and bcry against it, for their cwickedness has come up before Me." 3 But Jonah rose up to flee to aTarshish bfrom the presence of the Lord. So he went down to cJoppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. 4 The aLord hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break up. 5 Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried to ahis god, and they bthrew the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down and fallen sound asleep. 6 So the captain approached him and said, "How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, acall on your god. Perhaps your bgod will be concerned about us so that we will not perish." 7 Each man said to his mate, "Come, let us acast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity has struck us." So they cast lots and the blot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, "aTell us, now! On whose account has this calamity struck us? What is your boccupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?" 9 He said to them, "I am a aHebrew, and I bfear the Lord cGod of heaven who dmade the sea and the dry land." 10 Then the men became extremely frightened and they said to him, "How could you do this?" For the men knew that he was afleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. 11 So they said to him, "What should we do to you that the sea may become calm for us?"--for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy. 12 He said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will become calm for you, for I know that aon account of me this great storm has come upon you." 13 However, the men rowed desperately to return to land but they could not, for the sea was becoming even stormier against them. 14 Then they called on the aLord and said, "We earnestly pray, O Lord, do not let us perish on account of this man's life and do not put innocent blood on us; for bYou, O Lord, have done as You have pleased." 15 So they picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, and the sea astopped its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made avows. 17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the astomach of the fish three days and three nights.