¶ The word of the LORD came unto [the prophet] Ionas the son of Amittai, saying:
Arise, and get thee to Ninive, that great city: and preach unto them, how that their wickedness is come up before me.
And Ionas made him ready to flee unto Tharsis from the presence of the LORD, and gat him down to Ioppa: where he found a ship ready for to go to Tharsis. So he paid his fare, and went abroad, that he might go with them unto Tharsis, from the presence of the LORD.
¶ But the LORD hurled a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea: so that the ship was in jeopardy of going in pieces.
Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god: and the goods that were in the ship, they cast into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Ionas gat him under the hatches, where he laid him down and slumbered.
So the master of the ship came to him and said unto him: Why slumberest thou? Up, call upon thy God: if God (happily) will think upon us, that we perish not.
And they said one to another: come, let us cast lots: that we may know, for whose cause we are thus troubled. And so they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Ionas.
Then said they unto him: tell us, for whose cause are we thus troubled? what is thine occupation? whence comest thou? what country man art thou? and of what nation?
He answered them: I am an Hebrew, and I fear the LORD God of heaven, which made both the sea and the dry land.
Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him: why didst thou so? (for they knew, that he was fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them)
¶ and said moreover unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may cease from troubling us? (for the sea wrought, and was troublous)
he answered them: Take me, and cast me into the sea, so shall it let you be in rest: for I wot, it is for my sake, that this great tempest is come upon you.
Nevertheless, the men assayed with rowing, to bring the ship to land: but it would not be, because the sea wrought so, and was so troublous against them.
Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said: O LORD let us not perish for this man's death, neither lay thou innocent blood unto our charge: for thou, O LORD, hast done, even as thy pleasure was.
So they took Ionas, and cast him into the sea, and the sea left raging.
And the men feared the LORD exceedingly, doing sacrifices and making vows unto the LORD.
But the LORD prepared a great fish, to swallow up Ionas. So was Ionas in the belly of the fish, three days and three nights.
Chapter:
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
Praise the Everlasting Lord for His Faithful Word.