GRGR(22) - Jonah

[David Morris]

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(480.20) "You may look like the soul of conviviality," Stefania greets him, 
"but it doesn't fool me.  Under that cheerful mask is the face of a Jonah."
         "You mean, uh, the, uh -"
         "I mean Margherita.  She's locked herself in the head. Hysterical.  
Nobody can bring her out. [...] We don't want anything to happen."
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Jonah(1:1-15, 17)
1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, 2 “Arise, go 
to Nineveh the great city, and cry against it, for their wickedness has come 
up before Me.” 3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of 
the LORD. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to 
Tarshish, paid the fare, and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish 
from the presence of the LORD.
4 And the LORD hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on 
the sea so that the ship was about to break up. 5 Then the sailors became 
afraid, and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo which was 
in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone below 
into the hold of the ship, lain down, and fallen sound asleep. 6 So the 
captain approached him and said, “How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, 
call on your god. Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we 
will not perish.” 7 And each man said to his mate, “Come, let us cast lots 
so we may learn on whose account this calamity has struck us.” So they cast 
lots and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, “Tell us, now! On 
whose account has this calamity struck us? What is your occupation? And 
where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?” 9 
And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD God of heaven who 
made the sea and the dry land.”
10 Then the men became extremely frightened and they said to him, “How could 
you do this?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the 
LORD, because he had told them. 11 So they said to him, “What should we do 
to you that the sea may become calm for us?”— for the sea was becoming 
increasingly stormy. 12 And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into 
the sea. Then the sea will become calm for you, for I know that on account 
of me this great storm has come upon you.” 13 However, the men rowed 
desperately to return to land but they could not, for the sea was becoming 
even stormier against them. 14 Then they called on the LORD and said, “We 
earnestly pray, O LORD, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life 
and do not put innocent blood on us; for Thou, O LORD, hast done as Thou 
hast pleased.” 15 So they picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, and the 
sea stopped its raging.

17 And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in 
the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.

(Jonah 2:1-10)
1 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the stomach of the fish, 2 and 
he said, “I called out of my distress to the LORD, And He answered me. I 
cried for help from the depth of Sheol; Thou didst hear my voice. 3 For Thou 
hadst cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the current 
engulfed me. All Thy breakers and billows passed over me. 4 So I said, ‘I 
have been expelled from Thy sight. Nevertheless I will look again toward Thy 
holy temple.’ 5 Water encompassed me to the point of death. The great deep 
engulfed me, Weeds were wrapped around my head. 6 I descended to the roots 
of the mountains. The earth with its bars was around me forever, But Thou 
hast brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God. 7 While I was fainting 
away, I remembered the LORD; And my prayer came to Thee, Into Thy holy 
temple. 8 Those who regard vain idols Forsake their faithfulness, 9 But I 
will sacrifice to Thee With the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have 
vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the LORD.”

10 Then the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry 
land.

Jonah, by Michelangelo, 1511
http://www.kfki.hu/~arthp/html/m/michelan/3sistina/3prophet/1jonah.html

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