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Jonah Contemporary English Version (CEV)
chapter 1
Jonah Runs from the LORD
1One day the LORD told Jonah, the son of Amittai, 2to go to the great city of Nineveh and say to the people,
"The LORD has seen your terrible sins. You are doomed!" 3Instead, Jonah ran from the LORD. He went to the
seaport of Joppa and bought a ticket on a ship that was going to Spain. Then he got on the ship and sailed
away to escape.
4But the LORD made a strong wind blow, and such a bad storm came up that the ship was about to be broken
to pieces. 5The sailors were frightened, and they all started praying to their gods. They even threw the ship's
cargo overboard to make the ship lighter.
All this time, Jonah was down below deck, sound asleep. 6The ship's captain went to him and said, "How can
you sleep at a time like this? Get up and pray to your God! Maybe he will have pity on us and keep us from
drowning."
7Finally, the sailors got together and said, "Let's ask our gods to show us who caused all this trouble." It
turned out to be Jonah. 8They started asking him, "Are you the one who brought all this trouble on us? What
business are you in? Where do you come from? What is your country? Who are your people?"
9Jonah answered, "I'm a Hebrew, and I worship the LORD God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry
land."
10When the sailors heard this, they were frightened, because Jonah had already told them he was running
from the LORD. Then they said, "Do you know what you have done?"
11The storm kept getting worse, until finally the sailors asked him, "What should we do with you to make the
sea calm down?"
12Jonah told them, "Throw me into the sea, and it will calm down. I'm the cause of this terrible storm."
13The sailors tried their best to row to the shore. But they could not do it, and the storm kept getting worse
every minute. 14So they prayed to the LORD, "Please don't let us drown for taking this man's life. Don't hold
us guilty for killing an innocent man. All of this happened because you wanted it to." 15Then they threw
Jonah overboard, and the sea calmed down. 16The sailors were so terrified that they offered a sacrifice to
the LORD and made all kinds of promises.
17The LORD sent a big fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.
chapter 2
Jonah's Prayer
1From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to the LORD his God:
2When I was in trouble, LORD,
I prayed to you,
and you listened to me.
From deep in the world
of the dead,
I begged for your help,
and you answered my prayer.
3You threw me down
to the bottom of the sea.
The water was churning
all around;
I was completely covered
by your mighty waves.
4I thought I was swept away
from your sight,
never again to see
your holy temple.
5I was almost drowned
by the swirling waters
that surrounded me.
Seaweed had wrapped
around my head.
6I had sunk down below
the underwater mountains;
I knew that forever,
I would be a prisoner there.
But, you, LORD God,
rescued me from that pit.
7When my life was slipping away,
I remembered you--
and in your holy temple
you heard my prayer.
8All who worship worthless idols
turn from the God
who offers them mercy.
9But with shouts of praise,
I will offer a sacrifice
to you, my LORD.
I will keep my promise,
because you are the one
with power to save.
10The LORD commanded the fish to vomit up Jonah on the shore. And it did.
chapter 3
Jonah Goes to Nineveh
1Once again the LORD told Jonah 2to go to that great city of Nineveh and preach his message of doom.
3Jonah obeyed the LORD and went to Nineveh. The city was so big that it took three days just to walk
through it. 4After walking for a day, Jonah warned the people, "Forty days from now, Nineveh will be
destroyed!"
5They believed God's message and set a time when they would go without eating to show their sorrow. Then
everyone in the city, no matter who they were, dressed in sackcloth.
6When the king of Nineveh heard what was happening, he also dressed in sackcloth; he left the royal palace
and sat in dust. 7-9Then he and his officials sent out an order for everyone in the city to obey. It said: None
of you or your animals may eat or drink a thing. Each of you must wear sackcloth, and you must even put
sackcloth on your animals.
You must also pray to the LORD God with all your heart and stop being sinful and cruel. Maybe God will
change his mind and have mercy on us, so we won't be destroyed.
10When God saw that the people had stopped doing evil things, he had pity and did not destroy them as he
had planned.
chapter 4
Jonah Gets Angry at the LORD
1Jonah was really upset and angry. 2So he prayed:
Our LORD, I knew from the very beginning that you wouldn't destroy Nineveh. That's why I left my own
country and headed for Spain. You are a kind and merciful God, and you are very patient. You always show
love, and you don't like to punish anyone, not even foreigners.
3Now let me die! I'd be better off dead.
4The LORD replied, "What right do you have to be angry?"
5Jonah then left through the east gate of the city and made a shelter to protect himself from the sun. He sat
under the shelter, waiting to see what would happen to Nineveh.
6The LORD made a vine grow up to shade Jonah's head and protect him from the sun. Jonah was very happy
to have the vine, 7but early the next morning the LORD sent a worm to chew on the vine, and the vine dried
up. 8During the day the LORD sent a scorching wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah's head, making him feel
faint. Jonah was ready to die, and he shouted, "I wish I were dead!"
9But the LORD asked, "Jonah, do you have the right to be angry about the vine?"
"Yes, I do," he answered, "and I'm angry enough to die."
10But the LORD said:
You are concerned about a vine that you did not plant or take care of, a vine that grew up in one night and
died the next. 11In that city of Nineveh there are more than a hundred twenty thousand people who cannot
tell right from wrong, and many cattle are also there. Don't you think I should be concerned about that big
city?