Easy to Translate English Jonah Jonah 1

This book is the account about Jonah, when he disobeyed God, was three days in a big fish's belly, and finally went to warn the wicked people in Nineveh city that God was going to destroy them. We call this book

JONAH

Jonah refuses to obey Yahweh

1 One day Yahweh said to the prophet Jonah, Amittai's son, 2 "I have seen how wicked are the people who live in the great city called Nineveh. Therefore, go there and warn the people that I am planning to destroy their city because they d sinned." *One *One the the

3 But Jonah did not go to Nineveh. Instead, he went in the direction opposite to where Yahweh told him to go. He went (down) to Joppa city. There he paid the fare to travel on a ship that was going to Tarshish city. Jonah wanted to escape from Yahweh and avoid doing what Yahweh had told him to do. He got on the ship, and then he went down to a lower deck inside the ship. He lay down, and went to sleep.went went

4 Then Yahweh caused a very strong wind to blow. There was such a violent storm that the sailors thought the ship would break apart. 5 The sailors were very frightened. So, they each started to pray to their own gods to save them. Then they threw the cargo into the sea to make the ship lighter in order that it would not sink easily. they

6 Then the captain went down to where Jonah was sleeping deeply. He awoke him and said to him. "You should not be sleeping during a storm like this one! Get up and pray to your god! Perhaps he will pity us and save us, so that we will not drown!"

7 Then the sailors said to each other, "We must cast lots to determine who has caused all this trouble!" So they did that, and the lots showed that Jonah had caused the storm.

8 So various ones among them asked Jonah, "Are you the one who has caused all this trouble for us?" "What work do you do?" "Where are you coming from?" "What country and what people-group do you belong to?" cast cast caused the

9 Jonah replied, "I am a Hebrew. I worship Yahweh, who lives in heaven. He is the God who made the sea and the land. I am trying to escape from doing what Yahweh told me to do." I

10 After/When the sailors heard that, they were more terrified. So, they asked him, "Do you realize what trouble you have caused?"

11 The storm kept getting worse, and the waves kept getting bigger. So, one sailor among them asked Jonah, "What must we do to you, so that your god will make the sea become calm?"

12 Jonah replied to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea. If you do that, then the sea will become calm. I know that this terrible storm is caused by my not doing what Yahweh told me to do."

13 But the sailors did not want to do that. Instead, they tried hard to row the ship back to land. But they could not do so, because the storm continued to get worse. *did row

14 Therefore, the sailors prayed to Yahweh, "O Yahweh, please do not cause us to drown after we cause this man to die. O Yahweh, we beg you, do not consider us to be guilty when we cause this man to die. We know that you have sent this storm for your own good reasons." you

15 Then they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea. Then the sea became calm. 16 When that happened, the sailors became greatly awed at/respected Yahweh's power. So, they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh. They also vowed to him that they would do things that would please him. became

17 While they were doing that, Yahweh sent a huge fish that swallowed Jonah. Then Jonah was inside the fish's belly for three days and three nights. that that for for

Jonah
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*One1:2 day* Yahweh said to the *prophet *Jonah, Amittai’s son OR *There was a prophet in Israel named* Jonah who was Amittai's son. *One day* Yahweh said to him:

*One1:2 day* Yahweh said to the *prophet *Jonah, Amittai’s son Use words that will indicate that this is a real, historical story. Do not use words that might communicate that this is a folk tale, a fake story or a myth.

the1:2 great city called Nineveh OR the large/important city called Nineveh* in the Assyria kingdom*

the1:2 great city called Nineveh Jonah 3:1

went1:3 (down) OR went OR traveled

went1:3 (down) Jonah had to travel from a high elevation (Jerusalem city) down to Joppa city which was a low elevation. Joppa was at sea level where a ship could be docked.The repeated “down” communicates that Jonah is going down from Yahweh’s exalted/”up” position.

they1:5 each started to pray to their own gods OR each one started to pray to his own god

cast1:8 lots OR throw objects/lots/dice OR shake in a container small objects that we have all marked and then let one fall out

cast1:8 lots Proverbs 16.33; Acts 1:26

caused1:8 all this trouble OR offended the god that caused the storm

the1:8 lots showed that Jonah had caused the storm OR the dice identified Jonah OR the *object *with Jonah’s mark *fell out from the bag/container*

I1:9 am a Hebrew OR I am from the Hebrew people-group.

*did1:13 not want to do that* OR did not want to throw Jonah into the sea

row1:13 the ship OR pull the ship OR paddle the ship OR get the ship

you1:14 have sent this storm for your own good reasons OR you have done what you wanted to do

became1:16 greatly awed at Yahweh’s power OR greatly respected Yahweh’s power

that1:17 swallowed Jonah *OR that swallowed Jonah alive OR who put Jonah in his mouth and downed him*

that1:17 swallowed Jonah The fish swallowed Jonah without chewing or biting him. The fish did not eat Jonah.

for1:17 three days and three nights OR three days

for1:17 three days and three nights Matthew 12:40