¶ Of the flyghte of Ionas when he was sent to preache. A tempest aryseth, and casteth him in the see for his dysobedience.
CAPI. I.
[ A] TThe worde of the Lorde came vnto Ionas the sonne of Amithai, sayinge: Aryse, and get the to Niniue that great ci¦tye, & preache vnto them, how that their wickednesse is come by before me. And Ionas made him redye to ••le vnto Tharsis from the presence of ye Lord, and gat him downe to Ioppa, where he found a shyp redye for to goo vnto Tharsis. So he payde his fare, & went aborde, that he mighte goo with them vnto Tharsis, from the pre∣sence of the Lorde. But the Lorde hurled a greate wynde in to the see, and there was a myghty tempest in the see / so that the shyppe was in ieopardye of goynge in peces. Then the maryners were afrayde, and cryed euery man vnto his god: and the goodes that were in the shyppe, they cast in to the see to lighten it of theym. But Ionas gat hym vnder the hatches, where he layde him downe and slom¦bred.
[ B] So the master of the shyp came to him and sayd vnto him, why slomberest thou? Vp, cal vpon thy God: yf God (happily) wil thinke vpon vs,* 1.1 that we perysshe not. And they sayd one to an other: come, let vs cast lottes, that we may knowe for whose cause we are thus troubled. And so they caste lottes, and the lot fell vpon Ionas.
Then said they vnto him: tel vs for whose [ C] cause are we thus troubled? what is thyne occupacion? whence commest thou? what countrey man art thou, and of what nacion? He aunswered them: I am an Ebrue, and I feare the Lorde God of heuen, whiche made bothe the see and drye lande. Then were the men excedingly afrayde, and sayde vnto hym: why dyddest thou so? (for they knewe that he was fled from the presence of the Lorde, by∣cause he had tolde them) and sayd moreouer vnto him: What sholde we do vnto the that the see maye cease from troublynge vs? (for the see wrought and was troublous) he an∣swered them: Take me and cast me in to the see, so shall it let you be in rest: for I wote, it is for my sake, that this great tempest is com vpon you.
[ D] Neuerthelesse, the men assayed with row∣yng to brynge the shyp to lande, but it wolde not be, bycause the see wrought so, and was so troublous agaynste them. Wherfore they cryed vnto the Lorde,* 1.2 and sayd: O Lorde, let vs not perysshe for this mans death, neyther laye thou innocent bloude vnto oure charge, for thou, O Lorde, haste doone euen as thy pleasure was.
So they toke Ionas and cast him in to the see, and the see lett ragyng. And the men fea∣red the Lorde excedingly, doing sacrifices and making vowes vnto the Lorde.