Jonah 1:3-5

Easy-to-Read Version

³But Jonah tried to run away from the Lord. He went to Joppa^[a] and found a boat that was going to the faraway city of Tarshish. Jonah paid money for the trip and went on the boat. He wanted to travel with the people on this boat to Tarshish and run away from the Lord.

The Great Storm

⁴But the Lord brought a great storm on the sea. The wind made the sea very rough. The storm was very strong, and the boat was ready to break apart. ⁵The men wanted to make the boat lighter to stop it from sinking, so they began throwing the cargo^[b] into the sea. The sailors were very afraid. Each man began praying to his god.

Jonah had gone down into the boat to lie down, and he went to sleep.

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Footnotes

Jonah 1:3 Joppa A town on the coast of Israel by the Mediterranean Sea.
Jonah 1:5 cargo The Hebrew word can mean “dishes,” “jars,” or “tools.” Here, this could mean all the jars and boxes the boat carried on its way to Tarshish or the rigging and other heavy tools on the boat.