Southern Story
1 Then the word of Yahweh came
to Jonah son of Amattai, saying,
2 "Rise up, and go to Ninevah,
that great city,
and cry out against it,
for their wickedness has come up
before me."
3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish,
from the presence of Yahweh.
So he went down to Yapho
and found a ship going to Tarshish,
and paid its fair,
and went down into it,
to go with them to Tarshish
from the presence of Yahweh.
4 But Yahweh cast forth a great wind
onto the sea,
and there was a great storm upon the sea,
and they thought the ship would break up.
5 Then the sailors were afraid,
and every one cried out to his own god.
And they cast forth the cargo
that was on the ship
into the sea to lighten it for them.
Now Jonah had gone down
into the bottom of the ship,
and had laid down and gone to sleep.
6 So the captain came to him,
and said to him,
"Why are you sleeping?
Rise up, call upon your god!
Perhaps the god will shine upon us
and we will not die."
7 Then each one said to another,
"Come, and let us cast lots,
that we may know who is the cause
of this evil upon us."
So they cast lots,
and the lot fell upon Jonah.
8 So they said to him,
"Tell us please,
for what cause is this evil upon us?
What is your occupation?
Where do you come from?
What is your land?
And from what people are you?"
9 Then he said to them,
"I am a Hebrew,
and I fear Yahweh,
the God of the heavens,
who made the sea and the dry ground."
10 The men were greatly afraid,
and said to him,
"What is this have done?"
For the men knew that he fled
from the presence of Yahweh,
because he had told them.
11 Then they said to him,
"What must we do with you
so the sea will calm down for us?"
For the sea continued to storm.
12 So he said to them,
"Pick me up
and cast me forth into the sea,
then the sea will calm down for you.
For I know that it is because of me
this great storm is upon you."
13 Then the men rowed
to get back to the dry ground,
but they could not,
for the sea continued to storm against them.
14 So they cried out to Yahweh, and said,
"Please, Yahweh!
Please do not let us perish
for this man's life.
And do not lay upon us innocent blood.
For you, Yahweh,
have done as you have pleased."
15 So they picked Jonah up,
and cast him into the sea,
and the sea stood down from its raging.
16 Then the men feared Yahweh
exceedingly greatly,
And offered a sacrifice to Yahweh,
and made vows.