If, when the call first came to him, Jonah had stopped to consider calmly, he might have known how foolish would be any effort on his part to escape the responsibility placed upon him. But not for long was he permitted to go on undisturbed in his mad flight. "The Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a might tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep." Verses 4, 5.

Hvis Jonas var standset og havde tænkt roligt over situationen, da han modtog opfordringen første gang, ville han have indset det tåbelige i at forsøge at kaste ansvaret fra sig. Han fik dog heller ikke lov at fortsætte sin vanvittige flugt ret længe. "Men Herren lod et stærkt vejr fare hen over havet, og en stærk storm rejste sig på havet, så skibet var ved at gå under. Sømændene blev rædde og råbte hver til sin gud, og de kastede alle sager i skibet over bord for at lette det. Men Jonas var gået ned i det underste skibsrum og lå i dyb søvn dernede." 4-5. v.