Title: The Story of the Prophet Jonas
Author: Anonymous
Language: English
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The Story of the prophet Jonas first translated from Hebrew to English
by William Tyndale, published in 1531.  This edition has the same wording,
but modernized spelling.



The Story of the prophet Jonas.

The first Chapter.

        The word of the lord came unto the prophet Jonas the son of
Amithai saying: rise and get thee to Nineve that great city and preach
unto them, how that their wickedness is come up before me.

        And Jonas made him ready to flee to Tharsis from the presence
of the lord, and gat him down to Joppe, and found there a ship ready to
go to Tharsis, and paid his fare, and went aboard, to go with them to
Tharsis from the presence of the lord.

        But the lord hurled a great wind in to the sea, so that there
was a mighty tempest in the sea: insomuch that the ship was like to go
in pieces. And the mariners were afraid and cried every man unto his
god, and cast out the goods that were in the ship in to the sea, to
lighten it of them. But Jonas gat him under the hatches and laid him
down and slumbered. And the master of the ship came to him and said
unto him, why slumberest thou? up! and call unto thy god, that God may
think on us, that we perish not.

        And they said one to another, come and let us cast lots, to
know for whose cause we are thus troubled. And they cast lots. And the
lot fell upon Jonas.

        Then they said unto him, tell us for whose cause we are thus
troubled: what is thine occupation, whence comest thou, how is thy
country called, and of what nation art thou?

        And he answered them, I am an Hebrew: and the lord God of
heaven which made both sea and dry land, I fear. Then were the men
exceedingly afraid and said unto him, why didst thou so? For they knew
that he was fled from the presence of the lord, because he had told
them.

        Then they unto him, what shall we do unto thee, that the sea
may cease from troubling us? For the sea wrought and was troublous. And
he answered them, take me and cast me in to the sea, and so shall it
let you be in rest: for I wot, it is for my sake, that this great
tempest is come upon you. Nevertheless the men assayed with rowing to
bring the ship to land: but it would not be, because the sea so wrought
and was so troublous against them. Wherefore they cried unto the lord
and said: O lord let us not perish for this mans death, neither lay
innocent blood unto our charge: for thou lord even as thy pleasure was,
so thou hast done.

        And then they took Jonas, and cast him into the sea, and the
sea left raging. And the men feared the lord exceedingly: and
sacrificed sacrifice unto the lord: and vowed vows.

The second Chapter.

        But the lord prepared a great fish, to swallow up Jonas. And so
was Jonas in the bowels of the fish three days and three nights. And
Jonas prayed unto the lord his god out of the bowels of the fish.

        And he said: in my tribulation I called unto the lord, and he
answered me: out of the belly of hell I cried, and thou heardest my
voice. For thou hadst cast me down deep in the midst of the se: and the
flood compassed me about: and all thy waves and rolls of water went
over me: and I thought that I had been cast away out of thy sight. But
I will yet again look toward thy holy temple. The water compassed me
even unto the very soul of me: the deep lay about me: and the weeds
were wrapped about mine head. And I went down unto the bottom of the
hills, and was barred in with earth on every side for ever. And yet
thou lord my God broughtest up my life again out of corruption. When my
soul fainted in me, I thought on the lord: and my prayer came in unto
thee, even into thy holy temple. They that observe vain vanities, have
forsaken him that was merciful unto them. But I will sacrifice unto
thee with the voice of thanksgiving, and will pay that that I have
vowed, that saving cometh of the lord.

        And the lord spake unto the fish: and it cast out Jonas again
upon the dry land.

The third Chapter.

        Then came the word of the lord unto Jonas again saying: up, and
get thee to Nineve that great city, and preach unto them the preaching
which I bade thee. And he arose and went to Nineve at the lordes
commandment. Nineve was a great city unto God, containing three days
journey.

        And Jonas went to and entered in to the city even a days
journey, and cried saying: There shall not pass forty days but Nineve
shall be overthrown.

        And the people of Nineve believed God, and proclaimed fasting,
and arrayed themselves in sackcloth, as well the great as the small of
them.

        And the tidings came unto the king of Nineve, which arose out
of his seat, and did his apparel off and put on sackcloth, and sat him
down in ashes. And it was cried and commanded in Nineve by the
authority of the king and of his lords saying: see that neither man or
beast, ox or sheep taste ought at all, and that they neither feed or
drink water.

        And they put on sackcloth both man and beast, and cried unto
God mightily, and turned every man his wicked way, and from doing wrong
in which they were accustomed, saying: who can tell whether God will
turn and repent, and cease from his fierce wrath, that we perish not?
And when God saw their works, how they turned from their wicked ways,
he repented of the evil which he said he would do unto them, and did it
not.

The fourth Chapter.

        Wherefore Jonas was sore discontent and angry. And he prayed
unto the lord and said: O lord, was not this my saying when I was yet
in my country? And therefore I hasted rather to flee to Tharsis: for I
knew well enough that thou wast a merciful god, full of compassion,
long ere thou be angry and of great mercy and repentest when thou art
come to take punishment. Now therefore take my life from me, for I had
lever die than live. And the lord said unto Jonas, art thou so angry?

        And Jonas gat him out of the city and sat him down on the east
side thereof, and made him there a booth and sat thereunder in the
shadow, till he might see what should chance unto the city.

        And the lord prepared as it were a wild vine which sprang up
over Jonas, that he might have shadow over his head, to deliver him out
of his pain. And Jonas was exceeding glad of the wild vine.

        And the lord ordained a worm against the spring of the morrow
morning which smote the wild vine that it withered away. And as soon
as the son was up, God prepared a fervent east wind: so that the son
beat over the head of Jonas, that he fainted again and wished unto his
soul that he might die, and said, it is better for me to die than to
live.

        And God said unto Jonas, art thou so angry for thy wild vine?
And he said, I am angry a good, even on to the death. And the lord
said, thou hast compassion on a wild vine, whereon thou bestowedest no
labour nor made it grow, which sprang up in one night and perished in
another: and should not I have compassion on Nineve that great city,
wherein there is a multitude of people, even above an hundred thousand
that know not their right hand from the left, besides much cattle?





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