1:1 那时，上主的话传给阿米泰的儿子约纳说：
This is the word of the LORD that came to Jonah, son of Amittai: 1:2 「你起身往尼尼微大城去，向他们宣布：他们的邪恶已达到我前」。
"Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it; their wickedness has come up before me." 1:3 约纳却起身，想躲开上主的面，逃到塔尔史士去；遂下到约培，找到一只要开往塔尔史士的船，缴了船费，上了船，同他们往塔尔史士去，好躲开上主的面。
But Jonah made ready to flee to Tarshish away from the LORD. He went down to Joppa, found a ship going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and went aboard to journey with them to Tarshish, away from the LORD. 1:4 但是上主却使海上起了大风，海中风浪大作，那只船眼看就要被击破。
The LORD, however, hurled a violent wind upon the sea, and in the furious tempest that arose the ship was on the point of breaking up. 1:5 水手们都惊慌起来，每人呼求自己的神，并将船上的货物拋在海里，为减轻载重。约纳却下到船舱，躺下沉睡了。
Then the mariners became frightened and each one cried to his god. To lighten the ship for themselves, they threw its cargo into the sea. Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship, and lay there fast asleep. 1:6 船长走到他跟前，向他说：「怎么，你还在睡觉﹖起来!呼求你的神吧!你的神也许会眷念我们，使我们不致丧亡」。
The captain came to him and said, "What are you doing asleep? Rise up, call upon your God! Perhaps God will be mindful of us so that we may not perish." 1:7 他们彼此说：「来，我们抽签，以便知道，我们遇到这场灾祸，是因谁的缘故」。他们便抽签，约纳竟抽中了。
Then they said to one another, "Come, let us cast lots to find out on whose account we have met with this misfortune." So they cast lots, and thus singled out Jonah. 1:8 他们向他说：「请告诉我们：我们遇到这场灾祸，是因什么缘故﹖你是干什么的﹖从那里来﹖你是什么地方的人﹖属于那一个民族﹖」
"Tell us," they said, "what is your business? Where do you come from? What is your country, and to what people do you belong?" 1:9 他回答他们说：「我是个希伯来人，我敬畏的，是那创造海洋和陆地的上天的上主天主。」
"I am a Hebrew," Jonah answered them; "I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land." 1:10 那些人都很害怕，就对他说：「怎么你做了这事﹖」人们都知道，他是从天主面前逃跑的，因为他已经告诉了他们。
Now the men were seized with great fear and said to him, "How could you do such a thing!" ?They knew that he was fleeing from the LORD, because he had told them. ? 1:11 他们又向他说：「我们该怎样处置你，才能使海为我们而平静﹖」因为，海越来越汹涌了。
"What shall we do with you," they asked, "that the sea may quiet down for us?" For the sea was growing more and more turbulent. 1:12 他对他们说：「你们举起我，将我拋在海里，海就会为你们平静下来，因为我知道，这场大风暴，临到你们身上，只是因了我的缘故。」
Jonah said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea, that it may quiet down for you; since I know it is because of me that this violent storm has come upon you." 1:13 众人虽然尽力摇橹，想回到海岸，却是不能，因为海上风暴，越来越汹涌。
Still the men rowed hard to regain the land, but they could not, for the sea grew ever more turbulent. 1:14 所以他们便呼求上主说：「上主!求你不要因这一个人的性命，使我们全部丧亡；不要将无辜者的血，归在我们身上，因为你是上主，就按你的意愿作吧!」
Then they cried to the LORD: "We beseech you, O LORD, let us not perish for taking this man’s life; do not charge us with shedding innocent blood, for you, LORD, have done as you saw fit." 1:15 他们于是举起约纳，将他拋在海里，海遂平静。
Then they took Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea’s raging abated. 1:16 众人都极其敬畏上主，遂向上主献祭，许下誓愿。
Struck with great fear of the LORD, the men offered sacrifice and made vows to him.