Jonas being sent to preach in Ninive, fleeth away by sea: a tempest
riseth: of which he being found, by lot, to be the cause, is cast into
the sea, which thereupon is calmed.
1:1. Now the word of the Lord came to Jonas, the son of Amathi, saying:
1:2. Arise and go to Ninive, the great city, and preach in it: For the
wickedness thereof is come up before me.
Nineve. . .The capital city of the Assyrian empire.
1:3. And Jonas rose up to flee into Tharsis from the face of the Lord,
and he went down to Joppe, and found a ship going to Tharsis: and he
paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them to
Tharsis from the face of the Lord,
Tharsis. . .Which some take to be Tharsus of Cilicia, others to be
Tartessus of Spain, others to be Carthage.
1:4. But the Lord sent a great wind to the sea: and a great tempest was
raised in the sea, and the ship was in danger to be broken.
1:5. And the mariners were afraid, and the men cried to their god: and
they cast forth the wares that were in the ship, into the sea, to
lighten it of them: and Jonas went down into the inner part of the
ship, and fell into a deep sleep.
A deep sleep. . .This is a lively image of the insensibility of sinners,
fleeing from God, and threatened on every side with his judgments: and
yet sleeping as if they were secure.
1:6. And the ship master came to him and said to him: Why art thou fast
asleep? rise up call upon thy God, if so be that God will think of us
that we may not perish.
1:7. And they said every one to his fellow: Come and let us cast lots,
that we may know why this evil is upon us. And they cast lots, and the
lot fell upon Jonas.
1:8. And they said to him: Tell us for what cause this evil is upon us,
what is thy business? of what country art thou? and whither goest thou?
or of what people art thou?
1:9. And he said to them: I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, and the
God of heaven, who made both the sea and the dry land.
1:10. And the men were greatly afraid, and they said to him: Why hast
thou done this? (For the men knew that he fled from the face of the
Lord: because he had told them.)
1:11. And they said to him: What shall we do with thee, that the sea
may be calm to us? for the sea flowed and swelled.
1:12. And he said to them: take me up, and cast me into the sea, and
the sea shall be calm to you: for I know for my sake this great tempest
is upon you.
1:13. And the men rowed hard to return the land, but they were not
able: because the sea tossed and swelled upon them.
1:14. And they cried to the Lord, and said: We beseech thee, O Lord let
us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood:
for thou, oh Lord, hast done as it pleased thee.
1:15. And they took Jonas, and cast him into the sea, and the sea
ceased from raging.
1:16. And the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and sacrificed victims
to the Lord, and made vows.