Bible (Bishops')/Jonah

Chapter 1
The worde of the Lorde came vnto Ionas the sonne of Amittai, saying:

Aryse, & go to Niniue that great citie, and crye against it: for their wickednesse is come vp before me.

And Ionas rose vp to flee into Tharsis from the presence of the Lorde, and went downe to Ioppa, and founde a ship going to Tharsis: so he payed his fare, and went downe into it, that he might go with them vnto Tharsis from the presence of the Lorde.

But the Lorde sent out a great winde into the sea, and there was a mightie tempest in the sea, so that the shippe was in daunger of splitting in sunder.

Then the maryners were afrayde, and cryed euery man vnto his God, and cast the wares that were in the shippe into the sea, to lighten it of them: but Ionas was gone downe into the sides of the shippe, & he laye downe sleeping.

And the shippe maister came to him, and saide: What meanest thou sleeper? Up, and call vpon thy God, if so be that God wyl shine vnto vs, that we perishe not.

And they saide euery one to his felow, Come, let vs cast lottes: that we may know for whose cause this euil is on vs. And they cast lottes: and the lotte fel on Ionas.

Then saide they vnto him: Tell vs for whose cause is this euill come vpon vs? what is thyne occupation? whence camest thou? what countrey man art thou, and of what nation?

And he aunswered them: I am an Hebrue, and I feare the Lorde God of heauen, which hath made the sea, and the drye lande.

Then were the men exceedingly afraide, & saide vnto him: Why hast thou done this? (for the men knewe that he fled from the presence of the Lorde, because he had tolde them.)

And they saide vnto him: What shal we do vnto thee, that the sea may be calme vnto vs? For the sea wrought and was troublous.

And he saide vnto them, Take me, and cast me into the sea, and the sea shalbe calme vnto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you.

Neuerthelesse, the men assayed with rowing to bring the shippe to lande, but they could not, because the sea wrought, and was troublous against them.

Wherfore they cryed vnto the Lorde, and saide: We beseche thee O Lord, we beseche thee, let not vs perishe for this mans lyfe, and lay not to our charge innocent blood: for thou O Lorde hast done as it pleased thee.

So they toke vp Ionas, and cast him into the sea, and the sea left raging.

And the men feared the Lorde exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice vnto the Lorde, and made vowes.

And the Lorde prepared a great fishe to swalowe vp Ionas: & Ionas was in the belly of the fishe three dayes and three nightes.

Chapter 2
And Ionas prayed vnto the Lorde his God out of the fisshes belly.

And saide: In affliction I cryed vnto the Lorde, and he heard me: out of the belly of hell cryed I, and thou heardest my voyce.

Thou haddest cast me downe into the deepe, into the middest of the sea, and the floods compassed me about: all thy billowes and waues passed ouer me.

And I saide: I am cast away out of thy sight, yet wyll I loke againe toward thyne holy temple.

The waters compassed me euen vnto the soule, the deapth closed me on euery side, and the weedes were wrapt about my head.

I went downe to the bottome of the mountaines, the earth with her barres was about me for euer: yet hast thou brought vp my lyfe from corruption, O Lorde my God.

When my soule fainted within me, I remembred the Lorde, and my prayer came in vnto thee into thy holy temple.

They that holde vpon lying vanitie, forsake his mercie.

But I wyll sacrifice vnto thee with the voyce of thankesgeuing, and wyll pay that that I haue vowed: for saluation is of the Lorde.

And the Lorde spake vnto the fisshe, and it cast out Ionas vpon the drye lande.

Chapter 3
And the worde of the Lorde came vnto Ionas the second time, saying:

Aryse, and go to Niniue that great citie, and preache against it the preaching which I speake vnto thee.

So Ionas arose, and went to Niniue according to the word of the Lord (Niniue was a great citie and excellent, of three dayes iourney.)

And Ionas began to enter into the citie a dayes iourney, and he cryed & saide: Yet fourtie dayes, & Niniue shalbe destroyed.

And the men of Niniue beleued God, and proclaymed a fast, and put on sackecloth from the greatest of them to the leaste of them.

And worde came vnto the king of Niniue: which arose from his throne, and put of his robe, and couered him selfe with sackcloth, & sate downe in asshes.

And he caused a cryer to crye, and say through the citie by the counsell of the king & his nobles, Let neither man nor beast, bullocke nor sheepe, taste ought at all, neither feede, nor drinke water.

And let both man & beast put on sackcloth, and crye mightyly vnto God: yea let euery man turne from his euill way, and from the wickednesse that is in his handes.

Who can tel whether God wyl turne and be moued with repentaunce, and turne from his fierce wrath, that we perishe not?

And God sawe their workes, that they turned from their euil wayes, and he repented of the euill that he saide he woulde do vnto them, and did it not.

Chapter 4
And this displeased Ionas greatly, and he was angrye [within him selfe.]

And he prayed vnto the Lorde, and saide: I pray thee O Lorde, was not this my saying when I was yet in my countrey? therfore I hasted to flee into Tharsis: For I knewe that thou art a gratious God, and mercifull, long suffering, and of great kindnesse, and repentest thee of euill.

And nowe O Lorde, take I beseche thee my lyfe from me: for it is better for me to dye, then to lyue.

Then saide the Lord, Doest thou wel to be angry?

And Ionas went out of the citie, and sate him downe on the east side thereof, and there made him a boothe, and sate vnder it in the shadowe, till he might see what should be done in the citie.

And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it spring vp ouer Ionas, that it might be a shadowe ouer his head, to deliuer him from his griefe: So Ionas was exceeding glad of the gourde.

But God prepared a worme, when the morning rose the next day, which smote the gourde, that it withered.

And when the sunne rose, God prepared a seruent east winde, and the sunne beat vpon the head of Ionas that he fainted: and wished vnto his soule, that he might dye, and saide, It is better for me to dye, then to lyue.

And the Lord saide vnto Ionas: Doest thou well to be so angry within thy selfe for the gourde? And he saide: I do well to be angry euen vnto death.

Then saide the Lorde, Thou hast had compassion on the gourde about the which thou bestowedst no labour, neither madest it growe: which came vp in a night, and perished in a night:

And shall not I spare Niniue that great citie, in the which are more then sixscore thousand persons that knowe not their right hand and their left, and also much cattaile?