Jonah Flees the Presence of the Lord
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Now the word of the LORD came to 1Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
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"Arise, go to 2Nineveh, that 3great city, and call out against it, 4for their evila has come up before me."
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But Jonah 5rose to flee to 6Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to 7Joppa and found a ship going to 8Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to 9Tarshish, 10away from the presence of the LORD.
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But 11the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened 12to break up.
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Then the mariners were afraid, and 13each cried out to his god. And 14they hurled 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 was fast asleep.
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So the captain came and said to him, "What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, 15call out to your god! 16Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish."
Jonah Is Thrown into the Sea
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And they said to one another, "Come, let us 17cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
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Then they said to him, "Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?"
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And he said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear 18the LORD, the God of heaven, 19who made the sea and the dry land."
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Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, "What is this that you have done!" For the men knew that 20he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.
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Then they said to him, "What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?" For the sea grew more and more tempestuous.
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He said to them, "Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, 21for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you."
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Nevertheless, the men rowed hardb to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them.
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Therefore they called out to the LORD, "O LORD, let us not perish for this man's life, and 22lay not on us innocent blood, 23for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you."
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So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, 24and the sea ceased from its raging.
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Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, 25and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD 26and made vows.
A Great Fish Swallows Jonah
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)