1Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,2"Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it, for its wickedness has risen before me."3But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish, and he paid its fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.4And the LORD cast a great wind upon the sea, and there was a great tempest on the sea, and the ship was about to be broken.5Then the sailors feared, and each cried out to his god, and they cast the articles that were in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them; and Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship and lay down and slept.6So the captain approached him and said to him, "What are you doing asleep? Arise, call to your god; perhaps the god will take thought of us, and we will not perish."7And they said, each to his neighbor, "Come, let us cast lots, and let us know on whose account this distress is upon us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.8Then they said to him, "Tell us why this distress has come upon us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country, and from what people are you?"9He answered them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land."10Then the men feared greatly and said to him, "What is this that you have done?" For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.11So they said to him, "What must we do to you that the sea may quiet down for us?" For the sea was growing more and more tempestuous.12And he said to them, "Lift me and cast me into the sea, and the sea will be quiet for you, for I know that on my account this great tempest is upon you."13Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to the dry land, but they could not, because the sea grew more and more stormy against them.14Therefore they cried out to the LORD, "Please, O LORD, do not let us perish on account of this man's life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you."15So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.16Then the men feared the LORD greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.17And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.