Jonah had been given a task by God to go and talk to the people of Nineveh. Telling them to change their wicked ways or God would destroy their city. But instead of going east across the desert to Nineveh, Jonah tried to run away from God. He found a boat going west to Spain. He paid his fare and got on the boat. He was going to run away from God! He went down to the lower part of the ship and went fast asleep. The ship was loosed from its anchor and sailed out on the blue Mediterranean Sea until it was out of sight.

Then the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea and there was a big storm. The sailors were afraid that the ship would be broken up. The winds roared. The waves were so high that they tossed the ship around like a toy. The sailors were very frightened. They all prayed to their various Gods for help. They even started to throw some of the cargo overboard to make the ship lighter. But nothing helped the storm got worse.

Finally the captain of the ship found Jonah asleep. He shook him wide awake and said, "Why are you sleeping during this terrible storm? Get up and call upon your God or we shall all die." The sea got rougher, finally the sailors said one to another, "There must be someone on board this ship who has sinned and has brought this storm upon us because his god is angry."

So they cast lots to find out who it might be and the lot fell on Jonah. "Tell us who you are, where have you come from and why this storm has come upon us." Then Jonah told the truth, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of Heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land." He told them how he was running away from God and that he was to blame for the storm.

The sailors were more afraid than ever. Jonah said, "If you throw me into the sea, the storm will stop." The sailors did not want to do this. They tried very hard to row the ship hoping to get to land, but they made no headway against the storm. They saw that they would have to do as Jonah said. First they prayed, asking God to forgive them for what they had to do. Then they picked up Jonah and threw him into the raging sea. At once the storm stopped, and the sea was clam. The men on the ship knew without a question that Jonah's God was the true and living God. They offered a sacrifice to Him and worshipped Him.