1. Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah, the son of Amittai, saying,
2. Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
3. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord and went down to Joppa, and he found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare thereof and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish fleeing from the presence of the Lord.
4. But the Lord caused a great wind to rise up in the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship thought she would be broken.
5. And the mariners were afraid, and everyone called unto his god, and they cast forth the vessels that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; he lay and was fast asleep.
6. So the shipmaster came to him and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that he will have compassion upon us that we not perish.
7. And each one said to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
8. Then they said unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, why this evil is come upon us; What is thine occupation? and from where dost thou come? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?