And the word of the Lord is maad to Jonas, sone of Amathy, sayinge, Ryse thou, and go in to Nynyuen, the grete cytee, and preche thou therynne, for the malyce therof styeth vp byfore me. And Jonas ros for to fleeȝ in to Tharsis, fro the face of the Lord. And he came doun to Joppe, and foonde a ship goynge in to Tharsis, and he ȝaue shiphijre to hem; and he wente doun in to it, for to go with hem in to Tharsis, fro the face of the Lord. Forsothe the Lord sente a grete wynde in the se, and a grete tempest is maad in the se, and the ship was in peryl for to be broken. And ship men dredden, and men crieden to her god; and senten vessels, that weren in the ship, in to the se, that it were maad liȝter of hem. And Jonas wente doun to the ynner thingis of the ship, and slepte in a greuouse sleep. And the gouernour cam to hym, and saide to hym, What art thou cast doun in sleep? ryse thou, ynclepe thi God, ȝif per auenture God aȝein thenk of vs, and we perishe not. And a man saide to his felaw, Cum ȝe, and sende we lot, and wite we, whi this yuel is to vs. And thei senten lottis, and lot felle on Jonas. And thei saiden to hym, Shewe thou to vs, for cause of what thing this yuel is to vs; what is thi werk, whiche thi lond, and whither gost thou, or of what peple art thou? And he saide to hem, Y am an Ebru, and Y dreede the Lord God of heuen, that made heuen and erthe. And the men dredden with grete drede, and saiden to hym, What didist thou this thing? forsothe the men knewen for he fleeȝ fro the face of the Lord, for Jonas had shewid to hem. And thei saiden to hym, What shuln we do to thee, and the se shal ceese fro vs? for the se wente, and wexe grete on hem. And he saide to hem, Take ȝe me, and sende in to the se, and the se shal cese fro ȝou; forsothe Y wote, for whi for me this grete tempest is on ȝou. And men rowiden, for to turne aȝein to the drye lond, and thei miȝten not, for the se wente, and wexe grete on hem. And thei crieden to the Lord, and saiden, Lord, we bisechen, that we perishe not in the soule of this man, and that thou ȝeue not on vs innocent blode; for thou, Lord, didist as thou woldist. And thei token Jonas, and senten in to the se; and the se stode of his buylyng. And the men dredden the Lord with grete dreed, and offreden oostis to the Lord, and vowiden avowis. And the Lord made redy a grete fisshe, that he shulde swelow Jonas; and Jonas was in wombe of the fishe three days and three niȝtis.
And Jonas preyede to the Lord his God of the fishis wombe, and saide, Y cryede to God of my tribulacioun, and he herde me; of the wombe of helle Y criede, and thou herdist my voice. Thou castidist me doun in to depnesse in the hert of the se, and the flood aboute ȝaue me; alle thi swelowis and wawis passiden on me. And Y saide, Y am cast awey fro the siȝt of thin eeȝen; netheles eftsoone Y shal see thin holy temple. Waters enuirounden me vn to my soule, depnesse encloside me, the se hillide myn hed. To the vtmest places of hillis Y wente doun, the herris of erthe closiden me to gydre, in to with outen eend; and thou shalt reyse vp my lijf of corrupcioun, Lord my God. Whanne my soule was angwishid in me, Y bithouȝte of the Lord, that my prayer cum to thee, to thyn holy temple. Thei that kepen vanytees, ydely shuln forsake her mercy. Y forsothe in voice of preysyng shal offre to thee; what euer thingis Y vowide, Y shal ȝeelde to the Lord, for helth. And the Lord saide to the fishe, and it castide out Jonas in to lond.
And the word of the Lord is maad the secounde tyme to Jonas, sayinge, Ryse thou, and go in to Nynyue, the grete cytee, and preche thou there the prechynge whiche Y speke to thee. And Jonas ros, and wente in to Nynyue, vp the word of the Lord. And Nynyue was a grete cytee, in iourney of three days. And Jonas bygan for to entre in to the cytee, in iourney of oo day, and cryede, and saide, Ȝit fourty days, and Nynyue shal be vndirturned, or distruyed. And men of Nynyue byleeuyden to the Lord, and prechiden fastyng, and weren clothid with sackis, fro the more vnto the lasse. And the word cam to the kyng of Nynyue; and he ros of his seete, and castide awey his clothing fro hym, and is clothid with sacke, and sate in ashe. And he criede, and saide in Nynyue of the mouth of the kyng and of his princes, sayinge, Men, and werk beestis, and oxen, and sheep taaste not ony thing, nether be fed, nether drynke watir. And be men hillid with sackis, and werk beestis crie to the Lord in strengthe; and be a man conuertid, or al turnyd, fro his yuel waye, and fro wickidnesse that is in the hondis of hem. Who wote, ȝif God be conuertid, and forȝeue, and be turned aȝein fro woodnesse of his wrath, and we shuln not perishe? And God sawȝ the werkis of hem, for thei ben conuertid fro her yuel waye; and God hadde mercy on the malice whiche he spac, that he shulde do to hem, and dide not.
And Jonas was tourmentid with grete tourment, and was wrooth. And he preiede to the Lord, and saide, Lord, Y biseche, wher this is not my word, whanne Y was ȝit in my lond? For this thing Y before ocupiede, for to flee in to Tharsis; forsothe Y wote, for thou, God, art meke and mercyful, pacient, and of myche mercy doynge, and forȝeuynge on malice. And now, Lord, Y preye, take my soule, or lijf, fro me; for deeth is beter to me than lyf. And the Lord saide, Gessist thou, wher thou art wel wroth? And Jonas wente out of the cytee, and sate aȝeinus the eest, and made to hym a shadewyng place there; and sate vndre it in shadewe, til he sawȝ what byfelle to the citee. And the Lord God made redy an eder, or a plaunt, and it styede vp on the hed of Jonas, that shadewe wer on his hed, and keuerde hym; forsothe he hadde traueilid. And Jonas gladid on the eder, with grete gladnesse. And God made redy a worme, in styinge vp of grey day in to morew; and smote the eder, and it dryede vp. And whan the sunne was sprungen, the Lord comaundide to the hote wynd and brennynge; and the sunne smote on the hed of Jonas, and he swalide. And he axide to his soule that he shulde dye, and saide, It is beter to me for to dye, than for to lyue. And the Lord saide to Jonas, Gessist thou, wher thou art wel wroth on the eder? And he saide, Y am wel wrothe, vn to the deth. And the Lord saide, Thou art sorie on the eder, in whiche thou traueylidist not, nether thou madist that it wexide, the whiche was born vnder oo niȝt, and in oo niȝt perishide. And shal Y not spare to the grete citee Nynyue, in whiche ben more than a hundred and twenti thousand of men, whiche witen not what is bitwix her riȝt half and left, and many werk beestis?
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