| NET Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 1The LORD said to Jonah son of Amittai, | 1Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying, |
| 2"Go immediately to Nineveh, that large capital city, and announce judgment against its people because their wickedness has come to my attention." | 2“Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before Me.” |
| 3Instead, Jonah immediately headed off to Tarshish to escape from the commission of the LORD. He traveled to Joppa and found a merchant ship heading to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went aboard it to go with them to Tarshish far away from the LORD. | 3Jonah, however, got up to flee to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship bound for Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went aboard to sail for Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. |
| 4But the LORD hurled a powerful wind on the sea. Such a violent tempest arose on the sea that the ship threatened to break up! | 4Then the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship was in danger of breaking apart. |
| 5The sailors were so afraid that each cried out to his own god and they flung the ship's cargo overboard to make the ship lighter. Jonah, meanwhile, had gone down into the hold below deck, had lain down, and was sound asleep. | 5The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. |
| 6The ship's captain approached him and said, "What are you doing asleep? Get up! Cry out to your god! Perhaps your god might take notice of us so that we might not die!" | 6The captain approached him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call upon your God. Perhaps this God will consider us, so that we may not perish.” |
| 7The sailors said to one another, "Come on, let's cast lots to find out whose fault it is that this disaster has overtaken us." So they cast lots, and Jonah was singled out. | 7“Come!” said the sailors to one another. “Let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity that is upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. |
| 8They said to him, "Tell us, whose fault is it that this disaster has overtaken us? What's your occupation? Where do you come from? What's your country? And who are your people?" | 8“Tell us now,” they demanded, “who is to blame for this calamity that is upon us? What is your occupation, and where have you come from? What is your country, and who are your people?” |
| 9He said to them, "I am a Hebrew! And I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land." | 9“I am a Hebrew,” replied Jonah. “I worship the LORD, the God of the heavens, who made the sea and the dry land.” |
| 10Hearing this, the men became even more afraid and said to him, "What have you done?" (The men said this because they knew that he was trying to escape from the LORD, because he had previously told them.) | 10Then the men were even more afraid and said to him, “What have you done?” The men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them. |
| 11Because the storm was growing worse and worse, they said to him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?" | 11Now the sea was growing worse and worse, so they said to Jonah, “What must we do to you to calm this sea for us?” |
| 12He said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea to make the sea quiet down, because I know it's my fault you are in this severe storm." | 12“Pick me up,” he answered, “and cast me into the sea, so it may quiet down for you. For I know that I am to blame for this violent storm that has come upon you.” |
| 13Instead, they tried to row back to land, but they were not able to do so because the storm kept growing worse and worse. | 13Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea was raging against them more and more. |
| 14So they cried out to the LORD, "Oh, please, LORD, don't let us die on account of this man! Don't hold us guilty of shedding innocent blood. After all, you, LORD, have done just as you pleased." | 14So they cried out to the LORD: “Please, O LORD, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life! Do not charge us with innocent blood! For You, O LORD, have done as You pleased.” |
| 15So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped raging. | 15At this, they picked up Jonah and cast him into the sea, and the raging sea grew calm. |
| 16The men feared the LORD greatly, and earnestly vowed to offer lavish sacrifices to the Lord. | 16Then the men feared the LORD greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to Him. |
| 17The LORD sent a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights. | 17Now the LORD had appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish. |
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