Jonah advises the sailors to lift him up and throw him into the sea. Only by this human sacrifice, as it were, could the sea be calmed down from its raging. Luther 1984, New American Bible, Revised Standard Version add “that it may quiet down for you,” since the expression is the same as in verse 11, with “for you” replacing “for us.” The drawing of lots has only confirmed for Jonah what he knew all along, that his own actions had caused the storm that was so dangerous for those who traveled with him. There was still the faint possibility that the loss of his life might save the lives of the innocent people on the ship with him. If he were no longer on the ship, then the lives of all the others on board would be safe.

The pronoun it in Good News Translation it will calm down is ambiguous, because it could refer to either the storm or the sea. The result would be essentially the same, whatever the reference is, but the expression that follows needs to be appropriate to the storm or to the sea, depending upon the grammatical reference. If, for example, it refers to the sea, some languages require a rendering such as “it will become smooth again” or “the waves will cease.” If, however, the reference is to the storm, a translation such as “it will not blow any more” or “the wind will stop” may be more appropriate.

It is my fault may be expressed as “I am to blame” or “it is because of me.”

Though it is quite appropriate in English to speak of “being caught in a storm,” this may seem quite strange in some languages, since “being caught” would refer only to a person being caught by another individual or by an animal. Accordingly it may be important to say “this violent storm has surrounded you” or “this great storm has come upon you.” So New American Bible has “that this violent storm has come upon you.”

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. et al. A Handbook on the Book of Jonah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1978, 1982, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .