1. The word of the Lord came to Jonah, son of Amittai:
2. Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it; for their wickedness has come before me.
3. But Jonah made ready to flee to Tarshish, away from the Lord. He went down to Joppa, found a ship going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and went down in it to go with them to Tarshish, away from the Lord.
4. The Lord, however, hurled a great wind upon the sea, and the storm was so great that the ship was about to break up.
5. Then the sailors were afraid and each one cried to his god. To lighten the ship for themselves, they threw its cargo into the sea. Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship, and lay there fast asleep.