aid 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?"

And he said unto them, "I am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of
heaven, who hath made the sea and the dry land."

Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said to him, "What is this
that thou hast done?"

For the men knew that he had fled from the presence of the Lord, because
he had told them. Then said they to him, "What shall we do to thee, that
the sea may be calm?" for the sea grew more and more tempestuous.

And he said to them, "Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so
shall the sea be calm; for I know that for my sake this great tempest is
upon you."

Nevertheless the men rowed hard to get them back to the land; but they
could not: for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them.

Wherefore they cried to 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."

{167}{168}

[Illustration]
JAFFA, THE ANCIENT JOPPA, LOOKING FROM THE SEA.
From a photograph belonging to Dr. W. J. Moulton
and used by his kind permission.

The city did not look just like this when Jonah came down to its
wharfs to escape from the command of the Lord. But it was a great
seaport, bustling with commerce in the days when the prophet found a
"ship" (about as large probably as a good-sized modern fishing boat)
bound to Tarshish, and "paid his fare" and took passage. Jaffa has the
only inside harbor between Egypt and Mount Carmel. At best the space
for shipping is very small. The entrance is very narrow and in high
seas very dangerous to enter.
[End illustration]

{169}

So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea
ceased its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly; and they
offered a sacrifice to the Lord, and made vows. And the Lord 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 he
said,--

"I called by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord,
And he answered me;
Out of the belly of hell cried I,
And thou heardest my voice.
For thou didst cast me into the depth, in the heart of the seas,
And