Now the word of the Lord came to Yona the son of Amittay, saying,

Arise, go to Nineve, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

But Yona rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Yafo; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare of it, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship seemed likely to be wrecked.

Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man to his god, and threw out the articles that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it for them. But Yona was gone down into the recesses of the ship; and he lay down, and was fast asleep.

So the shipmaster came to him, and said to him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, perhaps God will think upon us, that we perish not.

And they said everyone to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Yona.

Then they said to him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; what is thy occupation? and where dost thou come from? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?

And he said to them, I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.

Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and they said to him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he had fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.

Then they said to him, What shall we do to thee, that the sea may be calm for us? for the sea grew more and more tempestuous.

And he said to them, Take me up, and cast me into the sea; so shall the sea be calm for you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.

Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring the ship back to land; but they could not: for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them.

So they cried to the Lord, and said, We beseech Thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased Thee.

So they took up Yona, and cast him into the sea: and the sea ceased from its raging.

Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord, and made vows.