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JONAH
CHAPTER
1
1
The worde of the Lorde came also vnto Ionah the sonne of Amittai, saying,
2 Arise, and goe to Nineueh, that great citie, and crye against it: for their
wickednesse is come vp before mee.
3 But Ionah rose vp to flee into Tarshish fro the presence of the Lord, and went
downe to Iapho: and he founde a ship going to Tarshish: so he payed the fare
thereof, and went downe into it, that he might go with them vnto Tarshish, from
the presence of the Lord.
4 But the Lorde sent out a great winde into the sea, and there was a mightie
tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.
5 Then the mariners were afraide, and cryed euery man vnto his God, and cast the
wares that were in the ship, into the sea to lighten it of the: but Ionah was
gone downe into the sides of the ship, and he lay downe, and was fast a sleepe.
6 So the shipmaster came to him, and saide vnto him, What meanest thou, O
sleeper? Arise, call vpon thy God, if so be that God wil thinke vpon vs, that we
perish not.
7 And they saide euery one to his fellowe, Come, and let vs cast lottes, that we
may know, for whose cause this euill is vpon vs. So they cast lottes, and the
lot fell vpon Ionah.
8 Then said they vnto him, Tell vs for whose cause this euill is vpon vs? what
is thine occupation? and whence commest thou? which is thy countrey? and of what
people art thou?
9 And he answered them, I am an Ebrewe, and I feare the Lord God of heauen,
which hath made the sea, and the dry lande.
10 Then were the men exceedingly afrayde, and said 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)
11 Then saide they vnto him, What shall we doe vnto thee, that the sea may be
calme vnto vs? (for the sea wrought and was troublous)
12 And he said vnto them, Take me, and cast me into the sea: so shall the sea be
calme vnto you: for I knowe that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you.
13 Neuerthelesse, the men rowed to bring it to the lande, but they coulde not:
for the sea wrought, and was troublous against them.
14 Wherefore they cryed vnto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we
beseech thee, let vs not perish for this mans life, and lay not vpon vs innocent
blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done, as it pleased thee.
15 So they tooke vp Ionah, and cast him into the sea, and the sea ceased from
her raging.
16 Then the men feared the Lorde exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice vnto the
Lorde, and made vowes.
17 Nowe the Lorde had prepared a great fish to swallowe vp Ionah: and Ionah was
in the belly of the fish three dayes, and three nightes.
CHAPTER
2
1 Then Ionah prayed vnto the Lorde his God out of the fishes belly,
2 And said, I cryed in mine affliction vnto the Lorde, and he heard me: out of
the bellie of hell cryed I, and thou heardest my voyce.
3 For thou haddest cast me into the bottome in the middes of the sea, and the
floods compassed me about: all thy surges, and all thy waues passed ouer me.
4 Then I saide, I am cast away out of thy sight: yet will I looke againe towarde
thine holy
Temple
.
5 The waters compassed me about vnto the soule: the depth closed me rounde
about, and the weedes were wrapt about mine head.
6 I went downe to the bottome of the moutaines: the earth with her barres was
about me for euer, yet hast thou brought vp my life from the pit, O Lorde my
God.
7 When my soule fainted within me, I remembred the Lorde: and my prayer came
vnto thee, into thine holy
Temple
.
8 They that waite vpon lying vanities, forsake their owne mercie.
9 But I will sacrifice vnto thee with the voice of thankesgiuing, and will pay
that that I haue vowed: saluation is of the Lorde.
10 And the Lorde spake vnto the fish, and it cast out Ionah vpon the dry lande.
CHAPTER
3
1 And the worde of the Lorde came vnto Ionah the seconde time, saying,
2 Arise, goe vnto Nineueh that great citie, & preach vnto it the preaching,
which I bid thee.
3 So Ionah arose & went to Nineueh according to ye word of the Lord: now
Nineueh was a great & excellent citie of three dayes iourney.
4 And Ionah began to enter into the citie a dayes iourney, and he cryed, and
said, Yet fourtie dayes, and Nineueh shalbe ouerthrowen.
5 So the people of Nineueh beleeued God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on
sackcloth from ye greatest of the euen to the least of them.
6 For worde came vnto the King of Nineueh, and he rose from his throne, and he
layed his robe from him, and couered him with sackecloth, and sate in ashes.
7 And he proclaimed & said through Nineueh, (by the counsell of ye king
& his nobles) saying, Let neither ma, nor beast, bullock nor sheep taste any
thing, neither feed nor drinke water.
8 But let man and beast put on sackecloth, and crie mightily vnto God: yea, let
euery man turne from his euill way, and from the wickednesse that is in their
handes.
9 Who can tell if God will turne, and repent and turne away from his fierce
wrath, that we perish not?
10 And God sawe their workes that they turned from their euill wayes: and God
repented of the euill that he had said that he woulde doe vnto them, and he did
it not.
CHAPTER
4
1 Therefore it displeased Ionah exceedingly, and he was angry.
2 And he prayed vnto the Lord, and saide, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my
saying, when I was yet in my countrey? therefore I preuented it to flee vnto
Tarshish: for I knewe that thou art a gratious God, & merciful, slow to
anger, & of great kindnes, and repentest thee of the euill.
3 Therefore nowe O Lorde, take, I beseech thee, my life from me: for it is
better for me to die then to liue.
4 Then saide the Lorde, Doest thou well to be angry?
5 So Ionah went out of the citie and sate on the East side of the citie, and
there made him a boothe, and sate vnder it in the shadowe till he might see what
should be done in the citie.
6 And the Lorde God prepared a gourde, and made it to come vp ouer Ionah, that
it might be a shadowe ouer his head and deliuer him from his griefe. So Ionah
was exceeding glad of the gourde.
7 But God prepared a worme when the morning rose the next day, & it smote
the gourd, that it withered.
8 And when the sunne did arise, God prepared also a feruent East winde: and the
sunne beat vpon the head of Ionah, that he fainted, and wished in his heart to
die, and said, It is better for me to dye, then to liue.
9 And God said vnto Ionah, Doest thou wel to be angrie for the gourde? And he
said, I doe well to be angrie vnto the death.
10 Then said the Lorde, Thou hast had pitie on the gourde for the which thou
hast not laboured, neither madest it growe, which came vp in a night, and
perished in a night,
11 And shoulde not I spare Nineueh that great citie, wherein are sixe score
thousande persons, that cannot discerne betweene their right hand, and their
left hand, and also much cattell?
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