Day 355 of 730

¹Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

²"Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim against it, for their wickedness has come up before me."

³But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. 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 the Lord.

⁴But the Lord 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.

⁵Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten it. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the ship, and he was laying down, and was fast asleep.

⁶So the shipmaster came to him, and said to him, "What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God! Maybe your God will notice us, so that we won't perish."

⁷They all said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is on us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.

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?"

⁹He said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land."

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 the Lord, because he had told them.

¹¹Then said they to him, "What shall we do to you, that the sea may be calm to us?" For the sea grew more and more stormy.

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."

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.

¹⁴Therefore they cried to the Lord, and said, "We beg you, Lord, we beg you, let us not perish for this man's life, and do not lay on us innocent blood; for you, Lord, have done as it pleased you."

¹⁵So they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging.

¹⁶Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord, and made vows.

¹⁷The Lord prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

¹Then Jonah prayed to the Lord, his God, out of the fish's belly.

²He said, "I called because of my affliction to the Lord. He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried. You heard my voice.

³For you threw me into the depths, in the heart of the seas. The flood was all around me. All your waves and your billows passed over me.

⁴I said, 'I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.'

⁵The waters surrounded me, even to the soul. The deep was around me. The weeds were wrapped around my head.

⁶I went down to the bottoms of the mountains. The earth barred me in forever: yet have you brought up my life from the pit, Lord my God.

⁷"When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord. My prayer came in to you, into your holy temple.

⁸Those who regard lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

⁹But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation belongs to the Lord."

¹⁰The Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah on the dry land.

¹Listen to my prayer, God. Do not hide yourself from my supplication.

²Attend to me, and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and moan,

³Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked. For they bring suffering on me. In anger they hold a grudge against me.

⁴My heart is severely pained within me. The terrors of death have fallen on me.

⁵Fearfulness and trembling have come on me. Horror has overwhelmed me.

⁶I said, "Oh that I had wings like a dove! Then I would fly away, and be at rest.

⁷Behold, then I would wander far off. I would lodge in the wilderness." Selah.

⁸"I would hurry to a shelter from the stormy wind and storm."

⁹Confuse them, Lord, and confound their language, for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

¹⁰Day and night they prowl around on its walls. Malice and abuse are also within her.

¹¹Destructive forces are within her. Threats and lies do not depart from her streets.

¹²For it was not an enemy who insulted me, then I could have endured it. Neither was it he who hated me who raised himself up against me, then I would have hid myself from him.

¹³But it was you, a man like me, my companion, and my familiar friend.

¹⁴We took sweet fellowship together. We walked in God's house with company.

¹⁵Let death come suddenly on them. Let them go down alive into Sheol. For wickedness is in their dwelling, in the midst of them.

¹⁶As for me, I will call on God. The Lord will save me.

¹⁷Evening, morning, and at noon, I will cry out in distress. He will hear my voice.

¹⁸He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, although there are many who oppose me.

¹⁹God, who is enthroned forever, will hear, and answer them. Selah. They never change, who do not fear God.

²⁰He raises his hands against his friends. He has violated his covenant.

²¹His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was war. His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.

²²Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you. He will never allow the righteous to be moved.

²³But you, God, will bring them down into the pit of destruction. Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days, but I will trust in you.

¹Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.

²He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is perverse in his ways despises him.

³The fool's talk brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them.

⁴Where no oxen are, the crib is clean, but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

⁵A truthful witness will not lie, but a false witness pours out lies.

⁶A scoffer seeks wisdom, and doesn't find it, but knowledge comes easily to a discerning person.

⁷Stay away from a foolish man, for you won't find knowledge on his lips.

⁸The wisdom of the prudent is to think about his way, but the folly of fools is deceit.

⁹Fools mock at making atonement for sins, but among the upright there is good will.

¹⁰The heart knows its own bitterness and joy; he will not share these with a stranger.

¹¹The house of the wicked will be overthrown, but the tent of the upright will flourish.

¹²There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

¹³Even in laughter the heart may be sorrowful, and mirth may end in heaviness.

¹⁴The unfaithful will be repaid for his own ways; likewise a good man will be rewarded for his ways.

¹⁵A simple man believes everything, but the prudent man carefully considers his ways.

¹⁶A wise man fears, and shuns evil, but the fool is hotheaded and reckless.

¹⁷He who is quick to become angry will commit folly, and a crafty man is hated.

¹⁸The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

¹⁹The evil bow down before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

²⁰The poor person is shunned even by his own neighbor, but the rich person has many friends.

²¹He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who has pity on the poor.

²²Do they not go astray who plot evil? But love and faithfulness belong to those who plan good.

²³In all hard work there is profit, but the talk of the lips leads only to poverty.

²⁴The crown of the wise is their riches, but the folly of fools crowns them with folly.

²⁵A truthful witness saves souls, but a false witness is deceitful.

²⁶In the fear of the Lord is a secure fortress, and he will be a refuge for his children.

²⁷The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning people from the snares of death.

²⁸In the multitude of people is the king's glory, but in the lack of people is the destruction of the prince.

²⁹He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a quick temper displays folly.

³⁰The life of the body is a heart at peace, but envy rots the bones.

³¹He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for his Maker, but he who is kind to the needy honors him.

³²The wicked is brought down in his calamity, but in death, the righteous has a refuge.

³³Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding, and is even made known in the inward part of fools.

³⁴Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.

³⁵The king's favor is toward a servant who deals wisely, but his wrath is toward one who causes shame.