Jonah Chapter 1

3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah; and he went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah.

4 But Jehovah sent out a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.

5 Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god; and they cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it unto them. But Jonah was gone down into the innermost parts of the ship; and 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 God will think upon us, that we perish not.

7 And they said every one 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 said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; what is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?

9 And he said unto them, I am a Hebrew; and I fear Jehovah, the God of heaven, who hath made the sea and the dry land.

10 Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, What is this that thou hast done? For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of Jehovah, because he had told them.

11 Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea grew more and more tempestuous.

12 And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.

13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to get them back to the land; but they could not: for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them.

14 Wherefore they cried unto Jehovah, and said, We beseech thee, O Jehovah, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood; for thou, O Jehovah, hast done as it pleased thee.

15 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging.

16 Then the men feared Jehovah exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice unto Jehovah, and made vows.

17 And Jehovah prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext

1 And the word of Jehovah came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

2 Arise, go to Nineveh, the 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 Jehovah; and he went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish, from the presence of Jehovah.

4 But Jehovah sent out a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest upon the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.

5 And the mariners were afraid, and cried every one unto hisgod; and they cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to be lightened of them. But Jonah had gone down into the lower part of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.

6 And the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, sleeper? arise, call upon thyGod; perhapsGod will think upon us, that we perish not.

7 And they said each one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. And they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

8 And they said unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us: what is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?

9 And he said unto them, I am a Hebrew, and I fear Jehovah, theGod of the heavens, who hath made the sea and the dry [land].

10 Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, What is this thou hast done? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of Jehovah: for he had told them.

11 And they said unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea grew more and more tempestuous.

12 And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that because of me this great tempest is upon you.

13 But the men rowed hard to regain the land; but they could not; for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them.

14 And they cried unto Jehovah and said, Ah, Jehovah, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, Jehovah, hast done as it pleased thee.

15 And they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from its raging.

16 And the men feared Jehovah exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto Jehovah, and made vows.

17 And Jehovah prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM

1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonas the son of Amathi, saying,

2 Rise, and go to Nineve, the great city, and preach in it; for the cry of its wickedness is come up to me.

3 But Jonas rose up to flee to Tharsis from the presence of the Lord. And he went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tharsis: and he paid his fare, and went up into it, to sail with them to Tharsis from the presence of the Lord.

4 And the Lord raised up a wind on the sea; and there was a great storm on the sea, and the ship was in danger of being broken.

5 And the sailors were alarmed, and cried every one to his god, and cast out the wares that were in the ship into the sea, that it might be lightened of them. But Jonas was gone down into the hold of the ship, and was asleep, and snored.

6 And the shipmaster came to him, and said to him, Why snorest thou? arise, and call upon thy God, that God may save us, and we perish not.

7 And each man said to his neighbour, Come, let us cast lots, and find out for whose sake this mischief is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonas.

8 And they said to him, Tell us what is thine occupation, and whence comest thou, and of what country and what people art thou?

9 And he said to them, I am a servant of the Lord; and I worship the Lord God of heaven, who made the sea, and the dry [land].

10 Then the men feared exceedingly, and said to him, What is this [that] thou hast done? for the men knew that he was fleeing from the face of the Lord, because he had told them.

11 And they said to him, What shall we do to thee, that the sea may be calm to us? for the sea rose, and lifted its wave exceedingly.

12 And Jonas said to them, Take me up, and cast me into the sea, and the sea shall be calm to you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.

13 And the men tried hard to return to the land, and were not able: for the sea rose and grew more and more tempestuous against them.

14 And they cried to the Lord, and said, Forbid it, Lord: let us not perish for the sake of this man's life, and bring not righteous blood upon us: for thou, Lord, hast done as thou wouldest.

15 So they took Jonas, and cast him out into the sea: and the sea ceased from its raging.

16 And the men feared the Lord very greatly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord, and vowed vows.

vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)

1 Et factum est verbum Domini ad Ionam filium Amathi, dicens:

2 Surge, et vade in Niniven civitatem grandem, et prædica in ea: quia ascendit malitia eius coram me.

3 Et surrexit Ionas, ut fugeret in Tharsis a facie Domini, et descendit in Ioppen, et invenit navem euntem in Tharsis: et dedit naulum eius, et descendit in eam ut iret cum eis in Tharsis a facie Domini.

4 Dominus autem misit ventum magnum in mare: et facta est tempestas magna in mari, et navis periclitabatur conteri.

5 Et timuerunt nautæ, et clamaverunt viri ad deum suum: et miserunt vasa, quæ erant in navi, in mare, ut alleviaretur ab eis: et Ionas descendit ad interiora navis, et dormiebat sopore gravi.

6 Et accessit ad eum gubernator, et dixit ei: Quid tu sopore deprimeris? surge, invoca Deum tuum, si forte recogitet Deus de nobis, et non pereamus.

7 Et dixit vir ad collegam suum: Venite, et mittamus sortes, et sciamus quare hoc malum sit nobis. Et miserunt sortes: et cecidit sors super Ionam.

8 Et dixerunt ad eum: Indica nobis cuius causa malum istud sit nobis: quod est opus tuum? quæ terra tua? et quo vadis? vel ex quo populo es tu?

9 Et dixit ad eos: Hebræus ego sum, et Dominum Deum cæli ego timeo, qui fecit mare et aridam.

10 Et timuerunt viri timore magno, et dixerunt ad eum: Quid hoc fecisti? (Cognoverunt enim viri quod a facie Domini fugeret, quia indicaverat eis.)

11 Et dixerunt ad eum: Quid faciemus tibi, et cessabit mare a nobis? quia mare ibat, et intumescebat.

12 Et dixit ad eos: Tollite me, et mittite in mare, et cessabit mare a vobis: scio enim ego quoniam propter me tempestas hæc grandis venit super vos.

13 Et remigabant viri ut reverterentur ad aridam, et non valebant: quia mare ibat, et intumescebat super eos.

14 Et clamaverunt ad Dominum, et dixerunt: Quæsumus Domine, ne pereamus in anima viri istius, et ne des super nos sanguinem innocentem: quia tu Domine, sicut voluisti, fecisti.

15 Et tulerunt Ionam, et miserunt in mare: et stetit mare a fervore suo.

16 Et timuerunt viri timore magno Dominum, et immolaverunt hostias Domino, et voverunt vota.

web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV

1 Now the LORD’s word 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.”

3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. 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 the LORD.

4 But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty storm on the sea, so that the ship was likely to break up.

5 Then the mariners were afraid, and every man cried to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the ship and he was laying down, and was fast asleep.

6 So the ship master came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God! Maybe your God will notice us, so that we won’t perish.”

7 They all said to each other, “Come! Let’s cast lots, that we may know who is responsible for this evil that is on us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.

8 Then they asked him, “Tell us, please, for whose cause this evil is on us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? Of what people are you?”

9 He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land.”

10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “What have you done?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.

11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may be calm to us?” For the sea grew more and more stormy.

12 He said to them, “Take me up, and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will be calm for you; for I know that because of me this great storm is on you.”

13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to get them back to the land; but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy against them.

14 Therefore they cried to the LORD, and said, “We beg you, LORD, we beg you, don’t let us die for this man’s life, and don’t lay on us innocent blood; for you, LORD, have done as it pleased you.”

15 So they took up Jonah and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging.

16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.

17 The LORD prepared a huge fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8

1 And there is a word of Jehovah unto Jonah son of Amittai, saying:

2 `Rise, go unto Nineveh, the great city, and proclaim against it that their wickedness hath come up before Me.'

3 And Jonah riseth to flee to Tarshish from the face of Jehovah, and goeth down <FI>to<Fi> Joppa, and findeth a ship going <FI>to<Fi> Tarshish, and he giveth its fare, and goeth down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the face of Jehovah.

4 And Jehovah hath cast a great wind on the sea, and there is a great tempest in the sea, and the ship hath reckoned to be broken;

5 and the mariners are afraid, and cry each unto his god, and cast the goods that <FI>are<Fi> in the ship into the sea, to make <FI>it<Fi> light of them; and Jonah hath gone down unto the sides of the vessel, and he lieth down, and is fast asleep.

6 And the chief of the company draweth near to him, and saith to him, `What--to thee, O sleeper? rise, call unto thy God, it may be God doth bethink himself of us, and we do not perish.'

7 And they say each unto his neighbour, `Come, and we cast lots, and we know on whose account this evil <FI>is<Fi> on us.' And they cast lots, and the lot falleth on Jonah.

8 And they say unto him, `Declare to us, we pray thee, on what account this evil <FI>is<Fi> on us? what <FI>is<Fi> thine occupation, and whence comest thou? what <FI>is<Fi> thy country, seeing thou art not of this people?'

9 And he saith unto them, `A Hebrew I <FI>am<Fi> , and Jehovah, God of the heavens, I am reverencing, who made the sea and the dry land.'

10 And the men fear a great fear, and say unto him, `What <FI>is<Fi> this thou hast done!' for the men have known that from the face of Jehovah he is fleeing, for he hath told them.

11 And they say unto him, `What do we do to thee that the sea may cease from us, for the sea is more and more tempestuous?'

12 And he saith unto them, `Lift me up, and cast me into the sea, and the sea doth cease from you; for I know that on my account this great tempest <FI>is<Fi> upon you.'

13 And the men row to turn back unto the dry land, and are not able, for the sea is more and more tempestuous against them.

14 And they cry unto Jehovah, and say, `We pray Thee, O Jehovah, let us not, we pray Thee, perish for this man's life, and do not lay on us innocent blood, for Thou, Jehovah, as Thou hast pleased, Thou hast done.'

15 And they lift up Jonah, and cast him into the sea, and the sea ceaseth from its raging;

16 and the men fear Jehovah--a great fear, and sacrifice a sacrifice to Jehovah, and vow vows.

17 And Jehovah appointeth a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah is in the bowels of the fish three days and three nights.

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).