¹ 耶和华的话临到亚米太的儿子约拿，说：

² 你起来往尼尼微大城去，向其中的居民呼喊，因为他们的恶达到我面前。

³ 约拿却起来，逃往他施去躲避耶和华；下到约帕，遇见一只船，要往他施去。他就给了船价，上了船，要与船上的人同往他施去躲避耶和华。

⁴ 然而耶和华使海中起大风，海就狂风大作，甚至船几乎破坏。

⁵ 水手便惧怕，各人哀求自己的神。他们将船上的货物抛在海中，为要使船轻些。约拿已下到底舱，躺卧沉睡。

⁶ 船主到他那里对他说：你这沉睡的人哪，为何这样呢？起来，求告你的神，或者神顾念我们，使我们不致灭亡。

⁷ 船上的人彼此说：来吧，我们掣签，看看这灾临到我们是因谁的缘故。於是他们掣签，掣出约拿来。

⁸ 众人对他说：请你告诉我们，这灾临到我们是因谁的缘故？你以何事为业？你从哪里来？你是哪一国？属哪一族的人？

⁹ 他说：我是希伯来人。我敬畏耶和华─那创造沧海旱地之天上的神。

¹⁰ 他们就大大惧怕，对他说：你做的是甚麽事呢？他们已经知道他躲避耶和华，因为他告诉了他们。

¹¹ 他们问他说：我们当向你怎样行，使海浪平静呢？这话是因海浪越发翻腾。

¹² 他对他们说：你们将我抬起来，抛在海中，海就平静了；我知道你们遭这大风是因我的缘故。

¹³ 然而那些人竭力荡桨，要把船拢岸，却是不能，因为海浪越发向他们翻腾。

¹⁴ 他们便求告耶和华说：耶和华啊，我们恳求你，不要因这人的性命使我们死亡，不要使流无辜血的罪归与我们；因为你─耶和华是随自己的意旨行事。

¹⁵ 他们遂将约拿抬起，抛在海中，海的狂浪就平息了。

¹⁶ 那些人便大大敬畏耶和华，向耶和华献祭，并且许愿。

¹⁷ 耶和华安排一条大鱼吞了约拿，他在鱼腹中三日三夜。

¹ Now the word of Yahweh came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

² "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me."

³ But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh.

⁴ But Yahweh sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty storm on the sea, so that the ship was likely to break up.

⁵ Then the mariners were afraid, and every man cried to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the ship, and he was laying down, and was fast asleep.

⁶ So the shipmaster came to him, and said to him, "What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God! Maybe your God will notice us, so that we won't perish."

⁷ They all said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots, that we may know who is responsible for this evil that is on us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.

⁸ Then they asked him, "Tell us, please, for whose cause this evil is on us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? Of what people are you?"

⁹ He said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear Yahweh, the God of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land."

¹⁰ Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said to him, "What is this that you have done?" For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of Yahweh, because he had told them.

¹¹ Then they said to him, "What shall we do to you, that the sea may be calm to us?" For the sea grew more and more stormy.

¹² He said to them, "Take me up, and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will be calm for you; for I know that because of me this great storm is on you."

¹³ Nevertheless the men rowed hard to get them back to the land; but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy against them.

¹⁴ Therefore they cried to Yahweh, and said, "We beg you, Yahweh, we beg you, don't let us die for this man's life, and don't lay on us innocent blood; for you, Yahweh, have done as it pleased you."

¹⁵ So they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging.

¹⁶ Then the men feared Yahweh exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh, and made vows.

¹⁷ Yahweh prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.