Call to Return

Yahweh tells Jonah to go to Nineveh, a great city far away. But Jonah does not want to go. He runs the other way! He finds a ship heading as far from Nineveh as he can get. He pays the fare, climbs on board, and goes below to hide.

Out on the open sea, Yahweh sends a wild storm. The ship rocks and tips. Waves crash over the sides. The sailors scream and throw boxes into the water to make the ship lighter. But Jonah is fast asleep below! They shake him awake and find out he is running from Yahweh!

Jonah tells the sailors to throw him into the sea. He says the storm will stop. They do not want to do it! But the waves get bigger and bigger. Finally they lift Jonah up and throw him over the side. The moment he hits the water, the storm stops. The sea goes flat and still.

Jonah 1:1