1約拿違命耶和華的話臨到亞米太的兒子約拿，說：
1Now the word of Yahweh “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations. came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2“起來！到尼尼微大城去，警告其中的居民，因為他們的惡行已經達到我面前。”
2“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.”
3可是約拿卻起來，要逃往他施去，躲避耶和華；他下到約帕，找到了一隻要開往他施去的船；他給了錢，就上船（“上船”原文作“下船”），要和他們同往他施去，離開耶和華。
3But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh.
4海起大風但是耶和華在海上忽然颳起大風，於是海中狂風大作，船幾乎要破裂了。
4But Yahweh sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty storm on the sea, so that the ship was likely to break up.
5水手都很懼怕，各人向自己的神大聲呼求；他們為了減輕船的重量，就把船上的東西拋在海裡，可是約拿卻下了船艙，躺著熟睡了。
5Then the mariners were afraid, and every man cried to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the ship, and he was laying down, and was fast asleep.
6船長走到他面前，對他說：“你怎麼啦！睡得那麼熟？快起來，求告你的 神吧！或者 神會記念我們，使我們不至於喪命！”
6So the shipmaster came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God or, gods ! Maybe your God or, gods will notice us, so that we won’t perish.”
7約拿受罰水手就彼此說：“來吧！讓我們抽籤，好知道這場災禍臨到我們，是因誰的緣故。”於是他們抽籤，結果抽中了約拿。
7They all said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know who is responsible for this evil that is on us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
8他們就對約拿說：“請告訴我們，這場災禍臨到我們，是因誰的緣故？你是作甚麼的？你從哪裡來？你是哪一國的人？哪一族的人？”
8Then they asked him, “Tell us, please, for whose cause this evil is on us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? Of what people are you?”
9他回答說：“我是希伯來人，我敬畏耶和華天上的 神，就是那創造海洋和陸地的。”
9He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear Yahweh, the God The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “Elohim.” of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land.”
10眾人就大大懼怕，對他說：“你為甚麼這樣作呢？（“你為甚麼這樣作呢？”或譯：“你作的是甚麼呢？”）”那些人知道他躲避耶和華，原來約拿告訴了他們。
10Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “What is this that you have done?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of Yahweh, because he had told them.
11因為海浪越來越洶湧，他們又對他說：“我們該怎樣處置你，才能叫海浪平靜呢？”
11Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may be calm to us?” For the sea grew more and more stormy.
12他回答說：“你們把我抬起來，投在海裡，海浪就會平靜，因為我知道，這場大風暴臨到你們，是為了我的緣故。”
12He said to them, “Take me up, and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will be calm for you; for I know that because of me this great storm is on you.”
13那些人雖然破浪掙扎，要把船靠岸，卻是不能，因為海浪不斷洶湧撲來。
13Nevertheless the men rowed hard to get them back to the land; but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy against them.
14他們就呼求耶和華，說：“耶和華啊！我們懇求你，不要因這人叫我們喪命；不要把無辜人的血歸在我們身上，因為你耶和華是照自己所喜悅的行事。”
14Therefore they cried to Yahweh, and said, “We beg you, Yahweh, we beg you, don’t let us die for this man’s life, and don’t lay on us innocent blood; for you, Yahweh, have done as it pleased you.”
15於是他們把約拿抬起來，投在海裡，怒濤就平息了。
15So they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging.
16那些人就大大敬畏耶和華，向他獻祭和許願。
16Then the men feared Yahweh exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh, and made vows.
17耶和華卻安排了一條大魚，把約拿吞下。約拿就在魚腹中三日三夜。（本節在《馬索拉抄本》為2:1）
17Yahweh prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.