| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1The LORD said to Jonah son of Amittai, | 1The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: |
| 2"Go immediately to Nineveh, that large capital city, and announce judgment against its people because their wickedness has come to my attention." | 2"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. | 3But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from 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 sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. |
| 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. | 5All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, 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 went to him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will 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. | 7Then the sailors said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity." 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?" | 8So they asked him, "Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?" |
| 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." | 9He answered, "I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, 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.) | 10This terrified them and they asked, "What have you done?" (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.) |
| 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?" | 11The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down 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 and throw me into the sea," he replied, "and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm 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. | 13Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. |
| 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." | 14Then they cried out to the LORD, "Please, LORD, do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, LORD, have done as you pleased." |
| 15So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped raging. | 15Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. |
| 16The men feared the LORD greatly, and earnestly vowed to offer lavish sacrifices to the Lord. | 16At this the men greatly feared the LORD, 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 provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. |
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