1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Rise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and proclaim against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid its fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. 4 Then the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a great storm at sea. The ship threatened to break apart. 5 The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his god. They hurled the cargo in the ship into the sea to lighten their load. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost part of the ship, where he lay down and fell fast asleep. 6 The captain came to him and said, “What are you doing asleep? Rise, call on your God! Perhaps God will take notice of us, and we will not perish.” 7 They said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this disaster upon us.” They cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, “Please tell us who is responsible for this disaster upon us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country, and what people are you from?” 9 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.” 10 The men were greatly afraid and said to him, “What have you done?” For the men knew he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them. 11 They said to him, “What should we do to you so that the sea will grow calm for us?” For the sea was growing more and more stormy. 12 He said to them, “Lift me up and hurl me into the sea, and the sea will grow calm for you. For I know that this great storm has come upon you because of me.” 13 Instead, the men rowed hard to return to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy against them. 14 So they cried out to the LORD, “Please, LORD, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life. Do not charge us with innocent blood, for you, LORD, have done as you pleased.” 15 Then they lifted Jonah up and hurled him into the sea, and the sea stopped raging. 16 The men feared the LORD greatly; they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows. 17 The LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.