Jonah 1
Open in the reader1Now the word of He-Who-Is came to Dove son of My-Truth, saying,
2“Get up! Go to the great city of Great-City and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before Me.”
3Dove, however, got up to flee to Far-Shore, away from the presence of He-Who-Is. He went down to Fair and found a ship bound for Far-Shore. So he paid the fare and went aboard to sail for Far-Shore, away from the presence of He-Who-Is.
4Then He-Who-Is hurled a great wind upon the Sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship was in danger of breaking apart.
5The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the ship’s cargo into the Sea to lighten the load. But Dove had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.
6The captain approached him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call upon your God. Perhaps this God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”
7“Come!” said the sailors to one another. “Let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity that is upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Dove.
8“Tell us now,” they demanded, “who is to blame for this calamity that is upon us? What is your occupation, and where have you come from? What is your country, and who are your people?”
9“I am a Crosser,” replied Dove. “I worship He-Who-Is, the God of the heavens, who made the Sea and the dry land.”
10Then the men were even more afraid and said to him, “What have you done?” The men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of He-Who-Is, because he had told them.
11Now the Sea was growing worse and worse, so they said to Dove, “What must we do to you to calm this Sea for us?”
12“Pick me up,” he answered, “and cast me into the Sea, so it may quiet down for you. For I know that I am to blame for this violent storm that has come upon you.”
13Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the Sea was raging against them more and more.
14So they cried out to He-Who-Is: “Please, O He-Who-Is, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life! Do not charge us with innocent blood! For You, O He-Who-Is, have done as You pleased.”
15Then they picked up Dove and cast him into the Sea, and the raging Sea grew calm.
16Then the men feared He-Who-Is greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to He-Who-Is and made vows to Him.