约拿违背耶和华
耶和华的话临到亚米太的儿子约拿，说：
Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2“起来，到尼尼微大城去，向其中的居民宣告，因为他们的恶已达到我面前。”Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
3约拿却起身，逃往他施去躲避耶和华。他下到约帕，遇见一条船要往他施去。约拿付了船费，就上船，与船上的人同往他施，为要躲避耶和华。But 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.
4耶和华在海上刮起大风，海就狂风大作，船几乎破裂。But 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.
5水手都惧怕，各人哀求自己的神明。他们把船上的货物抛进海里，为要减轻载重。约拿却下到舱底，躺卧沉睡。Then 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.
6船长到他那里，对他说：“你怎么还在沉睡呢？起来，求告你的神明，或者神明顾念我们，使我们不致灭亡。”So 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.
7船上的人彼此说：“来吧，我们来抽签，看看这灾难临到我们是因谁的缘故。”于是他们就抽签，抽出约拿来。And 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.
8他们对约拿说：“请你告诉我们，这灾难临到我们是因谁的缘故呢？你做什么行业？你从哪里来？你是哪一国的人？属哪一族？”Then 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?
9他说：“我是希伯来人，我敬畏耶和华，天上的神，他创造了沧海和陆地。”And 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.
10那些人就大大惧怕，对他说：“你做的是什么事呢？”原来他们已经知道他在躲避耶和华，因为他告诉了他们。Then 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.
11海浪越來越汹涌，他们就问他说：“我们当向你做什么，才能使海浪平静呢？”Then 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.
12他对他们说：“你们把我抬起来，抛进海里，海就会平静了；我知道你们遭遇这大风浪是因我的缘故。”And 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.
13然而那些人竭力划桨，想要把船靠回陆地，却是不能；因风浪越來越大，扑向他们。Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.
14于是他们求告耶和华说：“耶和华啊，求求你不要因这人的性命使我们灭亡，不要使流无辜人血的罪归给我们；因为你－耶和华随自己的旨意行事。”Wherefore 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.
15他们把约拿抬起来，抛进海里，海的狂浪就平息了。So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
16那些人就大大惧怕耶和华，向耶和华献祭许愿。Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.
17耶和华安排一条大鱼吞下约拿，约拿在鱼腹中三日三夜。Now 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.
约拿的祷告
约拿在鱼腹中向耶和华－他的神祷告，
Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,
2说： “我在患难中求告耶和华， 他就应允我； 我从阴间的深处呼求， 你就俯听我的声音。And 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.
3你将我投下深渊， 直到海心； 大水环绕我， 你的波浪洪涛漫过我身。For 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.
4我说：‘我从你眼前被驱逐， 然而我仍要仰望你的圣殿。’Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
5众水环绕我，几乎淹没我； 深渊围住我； 海草缠绕我的头。The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
6我下沉到山的根基， 地的门闩将我永远关住。 耶和华－我的神啊， 你却将我的性命从地府里救出来。I 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.
7我心灵发昏时， 就想起耶和华。 我的祷告进入你的圣殿， 达到你面前。When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
8那信奉虚无神明☛“虚无神明”：原文是“虚无”。的人， 丢弃自己的慈爱；They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
9但我要以感谢的声音向你献祭。 我所许的愿，我必偿还。 救恩出于耶和华。”But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
10耶和华吩咐那鱼，鱼就把约拿吐在陆地上。And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
约拿顺服耶和华
耶和华的话第二次临到约拿，说：
And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
2“起来，到尼尼微大城去，把我告诉你的信息向其中的居民宣告。”Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
3约拿就照耶和华的话起来，到尼尼微去。尼尼微是一座极大的城，约有三天的路程。So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.
4约拿进城，走了一天，宣告说：“再过四十天，尼尼微要倾覆了！”And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
5尼尼微人就信服神，宣告禁食，从最大的到最小的都穿上麻衣。So 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.
6这消息传到尼尼微王那里，他就从宝座起来，脱下朝服，披上麻布，坐在灰中。For 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.
7他叫人通告尼尼微全城，说：“王和大臣有令，人、畜、牛、羊都不可尝任何东西，不可吃，也不可喝水。And 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:
8人与牲畜都要披上麻布，切切求告神。各人要回转离开恶道，离弃自己掌中的残暴。But 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.
9谁知道神也许会回心转意，不发烈怒，使我们不致灭亡。”Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
10神察看他们的行为，见他们离开恶道，神就改变心意，原先所说要降与他们的灾难，他不降了。And 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.
约拿的愤怒和神的怜悯
这事令约拿大大不悦，甚至发怒。
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.
2他就向耶和华祷告，说：“耶和华啊，这不就是我仍在本国的时候所说的吗？我知道你是有恩惠，有怜悯的神，不轻易发怒，有丰盛的慈爱，并且会改变心意，不降那灾难。我就是因为这样，才急速逃往他施去的呀！And 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.
3耶和华啊，现在求你取走我的性命吧！因为我死了比活着更好。”Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.
4耶和华说：“你这样发怒，对吗？”Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?
5约拿出城，坐在城的东边，在那里为自己搭了一座棚。他坐在棚子的荫下，要看看城里会发生什么事。So 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.
6耶和华神安排了一棵蓖麻，使它生长高过约拿，影子遮盖他的头，使他免受苦难；约拿因这棵蓖麻大大欢喜。And 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.
7次日黎明，神却安排一条虫来咬这蓖麻，以致枯干。But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
8太阳出来的时候，神安排炎热的东风，太阳曝晒约拿的头，使他发昏，他就为自己求死，说：“我死了比活着更好！”And 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.
9神对约拿说：“你因这棵蓖麻这样发怒，对吗？”他说：“我发怒以至于死，都是对的！”And 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.
10耶和华说：“这棵蓖麻你没有为它操劳，也不是你使它长大的；它一夜生长，一夜枯死，你尚且爱惜；Then 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:
11何况这尼尼微大城，其中不能分辨左右手的就有十二万多人，还有许多牲畜，我岂能不爱惜呢？”And 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?