oken. 5. Then the mariners were
afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares
that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But
Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was
fast asleep. 6. So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him,
What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be
that God will think upon us, that we perish not. 7. And they said
every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may
know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and
the lot fell upon Jonah. 8. Then said they unto him, Tell us, we
pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine
occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of
what people art thou? 9. And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and
I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the
dry land. 10. Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto
him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from
the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. 11. 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. 12. 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. 13. Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring
it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was
tempestuous against them. 14. 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. 15. So they took up
Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea; and the sea ceased from her
raging. 16. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a
sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows. 17. 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.'--JONAH i. 1-17.

Jonah was apparently an older contemporary of Hosea and Amos. The
Assyrian power was looming threateningly on the northern horizon, and a
flash or two had already broken from that cloud. No doubt terror had
wrought hate and intenser narrowness.