1Now the word of Yahweh came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness has come up before me. 3But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh; and 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. 4But Yahweh sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was likely to be broken. 5Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man to his god; and they cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it to them. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. 6So the shipmaster came to him, and said to him, What do you mean, O sleeper? Arise, call on your God, perhaps God will think on us, that we will not perish. 7And they said every one to his fellow man, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is on us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8Then they said to him, Tell us, we pray you, for whose cause this evil is on us; what is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you? 9And 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. 10Then the men were 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. 11Then 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 tempestuous. 12And he said to them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so the sea will be calm to you{+}: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is on you{+}. 13Nevertheless the men rowed hard to get back to the land; but they could not: for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. 14Therefore they cried to Yahweh, and said, We urge you, O Yahweh, we urge you, let us not perish for this man's life, and don't lay innocent blood on us; for you, O Yahweh, have done as it pleased you. 15So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging. 16Then the men feared Yahweh exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh, and made vows. 17And Yahweh prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the insides of the fish three days and three nights.