Jonah
Jonah.1
[1] Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
[2] Arise, go to Nineveh,
that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
[3] But Jonah rose up to
flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going
to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the
presence of the LORD.
[4] But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty
tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.
[5] Then the mariners were afraid, and cried
every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them.
But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.
[6] So the shipmaster
came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that
God will think upon us, that we perish not.
[7] And they said every one 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
Jonah.
[8] Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is
thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?
[9] And
he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea
and the dry land.
[10] Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done
this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.
[11]
Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea
wrought, and was tempestuous.
[12] And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the
sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.
[13]
Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and
was tempestuous against them.
[14] Wherefore they cried unto 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.
[15] So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the
sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
[16] Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered
a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.
[17] Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up
Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah.2
[1] Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,
[2] And said, I cried by reason of
mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my
voice.
[3] For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me
about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
[4] Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will
look again toward thy holy temple.
[5] The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed
me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
[6] I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the
earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my
God.
[7] When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into
thine holy temple.
[8] They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
[9] But I will sacrifice unto
thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
[10] And
the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
Jonah.3
[1] And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
[2] Arise, go unto Nineveh, that
great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
[3] So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh,
according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.
[4]
And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh
shall be overthrown.
[5] So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth,
from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
[6] For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and
he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in
ashes.
[7] And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king
and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor