But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh.
He told them that he was trying to flee from the presence of God, from the call of God to go to the Gentiles and preach to them.