I
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
The Call and the Flight
1Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
1The word of the LORD came to Jonah, the son of Amittai. He said,
2Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
2"Get up and go to Nineveh, that great city, and speak out against it, because their wickedness has risen up before me."
3But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
3But Jonah got up to run away to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship headed for Tarshish, so he paid the fare and went aboard to sail with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.
The Storm and the Sleeping Prophet
4But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.
4But the LORD hurled a great wind onto the sea, and a violent storm rose up, so fierce that the ship was about to break apart.
5Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.
5The sailors were terrified, and each one cried out to his own god. They threw the cargo overboard to make the ship lighter. But Jonah had gone down into the lower part of the ship, where he lay sound asleep.
6So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.
6The captain came to him and said, "What are you doing, sleeping? Get up and call on your God! Maybe God will give us a thought, so that we do not die."
The Lot Falls on Jonah
7And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
7Then the sailors said to one another, "Come on, let's draw lots so we can find out who is to blame for this disaster." So they drew lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
8Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?
8They said to him, "Tell us, please, who is to blame for this trouble that has come on us? What is your work? Where do you come from? What is your country? What people do you belong to?"
9And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.
9He answered them, "I am a Hebrew, and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land."
10Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.
10Then the men were even more afraid and said to him, "What have you done?" For the men knew he was running away from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them so.
Thrown Into the Sea
11Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.
11So they asked him, "What should we do with you to make the sea calm down for us?" For the sea was growing rougher and rougher.
12And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.
12He told them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea, and the sea will grow calm for you. I know that this great storm has come on you because of me."
13Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.
13Even so, the men rowed hard to get back to land, but they could not, because the sea kept raging against them.
14Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.
14So they cried out to the LORD and said, "We beg you, O LORD, we beg you, do not let us die for taking this man's life, and do not hold us guilty of innocent blood. For you, O LORD, have done just as you pleased."
15So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
15Then they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging.
16Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.
16At that the men feared the LORD greatly. They offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.
The Great Fish
17Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
17Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.
II
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
Jonah Prays From the Fish
1Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly,
1Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from inside the belly of the fish.
2And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
2He said, "In my distress I cried out to the LORD, and he heard me. From the belly of the grave I called for help, and you heard my voice.
Down to the Roots of the Mountains
3For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
3You had thrown me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the currents swirled around me. All your breakers and your waves rolled over me.
4Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
4Then I said, 'I have been driven out of your sight, yet I will look again toward your holy temple.'
5The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
5The waters closed in around me, right up to my throat. The deep wrapped itself around me; seaweed was twisted around my head.
6I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.
6I sank down to the roots of the mountains. The earth locked its bars behind me forever. Yet you lifted my life up out of the pit, O LORD my God.
I Remembered the LORD
7When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
7When my soul was fainting away inside me, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer rose up to you, into your holy temple.
8They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
8Those who cling to worthless idols turn their backs on the mercy that could be theirs.
9But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
9But I will offer sacrifice to you with a voice of thanksgiving. What I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD."
Put Out on Dry Land
10And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
10Then the LORD spoke to the fish, and it spat Jonah out onto the dry land.
III
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
The Word Comes a Second Time
1And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
1The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time. He said,
2Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
2"Get up and go to Nineveh, that great city, and announce to it the message I give you."
3So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey.
3So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh, just as the LORD had said. Now Nineveh was an enormous city; it took three days to walk across it.
4And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
4Jonah started into the city, walking a day's journey, and he called out, "Forty more days, and Nineveh will be destroyed!"
The City and Its King Put On Sackcloth
5So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
5The people of Nineveh believed God. They declared a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them down to the least.
6For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
6When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robe, wrapped himself in sackcloth, and sat down in ashes.
7And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:
7Then he had this announced and published throughout Nineveh by order of the king and his nobles: "Let no person or animal, no herd or flock, taste anything at all. Do not let them eat or drink water.
8But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
8Let people and animals alike be covered with sackcloth, and let everyone cry out to God with all their might. Let each one turn from his evil way and from the violence in his hands.
9Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
9Who knows? God may turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish."
God Turns From the Disaster
10And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
10God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, and God relented from the disaster he had said he would bring on them, and he did not do it.
IV
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
Jonah's Anger at God's Mercy
1But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.
1But this upset Jonah terribly, and he became very angry.
2And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.
2He prayed to the LORD and said, "Please, O LORD, isn't this exactly what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I ran away to Tarshish in the first place. I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and full of kindness, who relents from sending disaster.
3Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.
3So now, O LORD, please take my life from me, because it is better for me to die than to live."
4Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?
4Then the LORD said, "Is it right for you to be angry?"
The Gourd, the Worm, and the East Wind
5So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.
5Jonah went out of the city and sat down on its east side. There he built himself a shelter and sat under its shade, waiting to see what would happen to the city.
6And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.
6Then the LORD God prepared a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to shade his head and ease his misery. Jonah was overjoyed about the plant.
7But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
7But at dawn the next day God prepared a worm, and it chewed the plant so that it withered.
8And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
8When the sun rose, God prepared a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah's head until he grew faint. He wished he could die and said, "It is better for me to die than to live."
The Question the Book Ends On
9And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.
9God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?" He answered, "Yes, it is right. I am angry enough to die."
10Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:
10Then the LORD said, "You felt sorry for the plant, though you did not work for it or make it grow. It sprang up in one night and died in one night.
11And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?
11So shouldn't I feel sorry for Nineveh, that great city, where there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many animals as well?"