1Now the word of Yahweh came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2"Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me."
3But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh.
4But Yahweh sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was likely brake up.
5Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten it. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the ship, and he was laying down, and was fast asleep.
6So the shipmaster came to him, and said to him, "What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your gods! Maybe the gods will notice us, so that we won`t perish."
7They all said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is on us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
