1 And it happened: the word of the LORD {YHWH, Prophetic Initiator} reached Jonah son of Amittai, saying {leemor: speech marker}:
2 Get up, go to Nineveh {Ninveh: Assyrian capital}, the great city, and call out against it; because their evil has gone up before Me {lefanai: in My sight}.
3 Jonah got up to flee {libroach: willful escape} to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD {YHWH, Pursuing King}. He went down to Joppa, found a ship bound for Tarshish, paid its fare, and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.
4 But the LORD {YHWH, Storm-Commanding King} hurled a great wind {ruach: driving gusts} toward the sea, and a great storm came to be in the sea, so that the ship seemed about to break.
5 The sailors were afraid, and each one cried out to his own god {elo-hav: personal deity}. They threw the wares {hakelim: onboard goods} that were in the ship into the sea, to make it lighter for them. Yet Jonah had gone down into the ship’s inner recesses, lay down, and was fast asleep.
6 Then the chief sailor approached him and said to him, “What is wrong with you, lying asleep? Get up; call to your God {eloheikha: Your Prayer-Hearer}. Perhaps God {haelohim: Life-Preserver} will be mindful of us, and we will not perish.”
7 And they said, each man to his companion, “Come, let us cast lots {goralot: marked tokens} so that we may know on account of whom this calamity {raah: severe disaster} is upon us.” Then they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
8 Then they said to him, “Please tell us{haggidah-na: earnest request}—because of whom is this calamity{rāʿāh: severe trouble} upon us? What is your work? And from where do you come? What is your land? And from which people are you?”
9 And he said to them, “A Hebrew {ivri: Israelite identity} I am, and I fear the LORD {YHWH, Storm-Overruler}, the God of the heavens, who made the sea and the dry land.”
10 Then the men were overwhelmed with great fear {yir'ah: trembling awe} and said to him, “What is this you have done?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD {YHWH, Sovereign Judge}, because he had told them.
11 And they said to him, “What should we do to you so that the sea may be quiet {yishtok: settle down} from upon us {mealeinu: pressing over}?” For the sea is going on and storming.
12 And he said to them, “Lift me up and throw me into the sea, and the sea will grow quiet {yishtok: fall silent} for you; for I know that this great storm {sa'ar: raging squall} is upon you because of me.”
13 Yet the men rowed{vayachteru: drove hard} to turn back toward the dry land{yabashah: firm shore}, but they were not able, because the sea was pressing forward and storming against them.
14 And they called out to the LORD {YHWH, Sea Judge} and said, “Please, O LORD, please do not let us perish because of the life {nefesh: living person} of this man, and do not place upon us innocent blood; for You, O LORD, have done just as You desired.”
15 So they lifted up {wayyisu: hoisted up} Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea stopped {wayyaʿamod: came to rest} from its fury.
16 Then the men feared the LORD {YHWH, Worship-Receiving King} greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows {nedarim: pledged promises}.
17 And the LORD {YHWH, Sovereign Appointer} appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the fish’s belly for three days {yamim: full time} and three nights.