NOW the word of the Self-existent had come to Jonah the son of Amittai, thus,

“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; their evil deeds are come up before Me.”

However, Jonah arose and ran away from the Self-existent to Tarshish: He traveled to Joppa, found a ship going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and boarded it to Tarshish.

Then the Self-existent sent a great wind to the sea, such that a mighty tempest arose on the sea, so much that the ship was about to be broken.

The mariners were afraid; they cried, every man, to his god, and threw out the wares in the ship to the sea, to lighten it. Jonah, having gone down to a corner of the ship, and laid down, was fast asleep.

The shipmaster came to him and said, “What do you mean, Mr. Sleeper? Arise! Call on your God, perhaps your God will consider us, that we do not perish.”

Then they said one to another, “Come! Let us cast lots, that we may know for whom this evil is upon us.” They cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.

Then they said to him, “Please tell us, who is the cause of this calamity? What is your occupation? Where are you coming from? Of which country are you? Of what people are you?”

He said to them, “I am an Hebrew.  I fear the Self-existent, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

Having told them that he ran away from God [the Self-existent - the Holy Spirit], the men were greatly afraid and said to him, “Why did you do that?”

Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the tempesting may subside?” (The sea raged and was tempestuous.)

He said to them, “Take me, and throw me into the sea; the sea will be calm. I know that this great tempest arose because of me.”

Nevertheless, the men tried hard to berth it, but they could not: The sea raged and was tempestuous.

Therefore, they cried to the Self-existent: “Please, the Self-existent, let us not perish for this man’s life – lay not on us innocent blood – because you, the Self-existent, has done as it pleased you.”

So, they took up Jonah and threw him into the sea. Instantly , there was calmness on the sea.

Then the men feared the Self-existent greatly: They offered a sacrifice to the Self-existent, and made vows.

The Self-existent had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.