Illustrated bible History - Catholic Apologetics Information

158 IIISTORY OF TIIII OLD TESTAMENT.
CHAPTER LXVL
The PrapAct Jonns.
Be converted to Me, and you shall be ssvcii.-18aCns 45,.99,
FTER, tl~o death of Eliseus, thc Jmd ~visbing to how
A 111ercy to the Gentiles, raised up thc prophet Jaws,
that he might go to 'Ninive, and p~each penancc to the inhltbita~lts
of that city. Thc miclcedness of the pagan Ninivitos
had provoked the anger of God, a.nr1 He had said to Jonas:
"Arise, and go to Ninive, and prcnch in it, for the
wiclredness thereof is come up bcfore ~ne."
2. Jonas, however, knew that the Lord easily forgives ;
hcncc 11c was nfraid that if he pre:tched to the people of Ninive
they woulcl do penance, m113 t.hnt conscquen tlg the I~rd
would npttre them, whilc he himself ~~ould bc looked upon
as a false prophet. So Jonas rose up to flee from the facc of
the Lord, and he embarked on board a ship vhir:ll sailed for
Tharsis. But the Lord scllC n great storm, and tho sea heaved
and swcllcd, and the ship tlirentcnccl to eixllr.
3. Then the sailors being f~ightenecl, thrcw into the sea all
the morchantlise thnt tvns on board in order to lighten the
vessel. And each one began prayiilg to his amn god for I~elp.
But Jonns was below, fast asleep ; ancl the shipmastcr ~verit
to hi111 and sdd : "Why art thou nsleep ? Rise up, call upon
thy God, if so be that God will thii~li of US, that ~ve may not
perish I ',
4. Rat the sailors, seeing that the violence of the storm
continued to increase, proposed to cast lots thnt they might
know why this cvil I~ad comc upon tliern. And they cast
lots, and the lot fell on Joni~~. Then Jonns confessed his sin
nnd siiid : 'l'nlrc me up, ancl cast rue into the sea, and tlle
sen shall be culril to ;you.''
6. The sailors, ni~rvilling to throw Jonss overboard, rowed
very hard to gnin the &ore, whc~.o they might leave him in
I Nwrvs (pr. Nin9-i-my).