Jonah 1

He Went Down to Joppa, and Down into the Ship

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Jonah Flees to Tarshish

1:1The word of the Lord came to Jonah, the son of Amittai, saying:

1:2“Rise and go to Nineveh, the great city, and proclaim in it, for the outcry of its wickedness has come up to Me.”

1:3But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, found a ship traveling to Tarshish, paid its fare and boarded it, to sail with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

The Great Surge upon the Sea

1:4The Lord stirred up a wind upon the sea, and there was a great surge on the sea; the ship was in danger of being shattered.

1:5The sailors were afraid, and each was crying out to their god. They threw the equipment in the ship into the sea, to be lightened of it. But Jonah had gone down into the hollow of the ship, and was sleeping and snoring.

1:6The ship’s officer approached him and said, “Why are you snoring? Rise and call upon your god, so that the god may bring us safely through and we may not perish.”

1:7Each said to his neighbor, “Come, let us cast lots and learn on whose account this calamity is among us.” They cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.

1:8They said to him, “Tell us on whose account this calamity is among us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from, from what country, and from what people are you?”

1:9He said to them, “I am a servant of the Lord, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

1:10The men were greatly afraid and said to him, “What is this you have done?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.

Jonah Thrown into the Sea

1:11They said to him, “What shall we do to you, so that the sea may subside for us?” For the sea kept raising a greater surge.

1:12Jonah said to them, “Lift me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will subside for you. For I know that this great surge is upon you because of me.”

1:13But the men strained to return to land and could not, for the sea kept rising more fiercely against them.

1:14They cried out to the Lord and said, “By no means, Lord! May we not perish for this man’s life, and do not lay righteous blood upon us, for You, Lord, have done as You wished.”

1:15They took Jonah and threw him out into the sea, and the sea stopped its tossing.

1:16The men feared the Lord with great fear, offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.