Jonah 1-2

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Jonah’s Flight

1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai:^(A) ²“Get up!^(B) Go to the great city^(C) of Nineveh^(D) and preach against it,^(E) because their wickedness^(F) has confronted^[a] Me.”^(G) ³However, Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish^(H) from the Lord’s presence.^(I) He went down^(J) to Joppa^(K) and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish, from the Lord’s presence.

⁴Then the Lord hurled^(L) a violent wind on the sea,^(M) and such a violent storm arose on the sea that the ship threatened to break apart. ⁵The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his god.^(N) They threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to lighten the load.^(O) Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel and had stretched out and fallen into a deep sleep.^(P)

⁶The captain approached him and said, “What are you doing sound asleep? Get up! Call to your god.^[b]^(Q) Maybe this god will consider us,^(R) and we won’t perish.”

⁷“Come on!” the sailors said to each other. “Let’s cast lots.^(S) Then we’ll know who is to blame for this trouble we’re in.” So they cast lots, and the lot singled out Jonah.^(T) ⁸Then they said to him, “Tell us who is to blame for this trouble we’re in.^(U) What is your business^(V) and where are you from? What is your country and what people are you from?”

⁹He answered them, “I’m a Hebrew.^(W) I worship^[c] Yahweh,^(X) the God of the heavens,^(Y) who made the sea^(Z) and the dry land.”

¹⁰Then the men were even more afraid and said to him, “What is this you’ve done?” The men knew he was fleeing from the Lord’s presence,^(AA) because he had told them. ¹¹So they said to him, “What should we do to you to calm this sea that’s against us?” For the sea was getting worse and worse.

¹²He answered them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea^[d] so it may quiet down for you, for I know that I’m to blame^(AB) for this violent storm that is against you.” ¹³Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they couldn’t because the sea was raging against them more and more.

¹⁴So they called out to the Lord:^(AC) “Please, Yahweh, don’t let us perish because of this man’s life, and don’t charge us with innocent blood! For You, Yahweh, have done just as You pleased.”^(AD) ¹⁵Then they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging.^(AE) ¹⁶The men feared the Lord^(AF) even more, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.^(AG)

¹⁷^[e]Now the Lord had appointed a huge fish^(AH) to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in^[f] the fish three days and three nights.^(AI)

Jonah’s Prayer

2 Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside^[g] the fish:^(AJ)

²I called to the Lord in my distress,^(AK)
and He answered me.
I cried out for help in the belly of Sheol;^(AL)
You heard my voice.^(AM)
³You threw me into the depths,^(AN)
into the heart of the seas,^(AO)
and the current^[h] overcame me.
All Your breakers and Your billows swept over me.^(AP)
⁴But I said: I have been banished^(AQ)
from Your sight,^(AR)
yet I will look once more^[i]
toward Your holy temple.^(AS)
⁵The waters engulfed me up to the neck;^[j]^(AT)
the watery depths overcame me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.^(AU)
⁶I sank to the foundations of the mountains;^(AV)
the earth with its prison bars closed behind me forever!^(AW)
But You raised my life^(AX) from the Pit, Lord my God!^(AY)
⁷As my life was fading away,^(AZ)
I remembered Yahweh.^(BA)
My prayer came to You,^(BB)
to Your holy temple.^(BC)
⁸Those who cling to worthless idols^(BD)
forsake faithful love,^(BE)
⁹but as for me, I will sacrifice^(BF) to You
with a voice of thanksgiving.^(BG)
I will fulfill^(BH) what I have vowed.
Salvation^[k] is from the Lord!^(BI)