“Nineveh, That Great City”
173
“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.
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.
“Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they
could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.
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. So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the
sea ceased from her raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly,
and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.
“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.
“Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly,
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.
[269]
“For Thou hadst cast me into the deep,
In the midst of the seas;
And the floods compassed me about:
And Thy billows and Thy waves passed over me.
“Then I said, I am cast out of Thy sight;
Yet I will look again toward Thy holy temple.
The waters compassed me about,
Even to the soul:
“The depth closed me round about,
The weeds were wrapped about my head.
I went down to the bottoms of the mountains;
The earth with her bars was about me forever: