The Daily RootedHome StoriesGradesChurchesWhat's NewAbout
Bible:
Answer key (separate)‹ Back to chapter 1

Prints on letter paper in black and white. No answers are printed on the student sheet.

Jonah 1 · Grade 5

You Cannot Outrun God

Name Date

Read and Think

The book of Jonah begins with Yahweh's word coming to Jonah the son of Amittai. God told him to arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness had come up before him. Jonah rose up, but he went the opposite way. He went down to Joppa, paid the fare, and boarded a ship to Tarshish to flee from the presence of Yahweh.

Yahweh sent out a great wind on the sea, and the ship was about to break up. The mariners cried to their gods and threw the cargo overboard. Jonah lay fast asleep in the innermost parts of the ship. The ship master asked him to call on his God. When the sailors cast lots to find who was responsible, the lot fell on Jonah. He confessed that he feared Yahweh, the God of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land, the very God he was trying to escape.

Jonah told them to throw him into the sea so that it would be calm. The sailors rowed hard to avoid it, then prayed to Yahweh not to hold them guilty. When they threw Jonah into the sea, it ceased its raging, and the men feared Yahweh exceedingly and made vows. The chapter ends with mercy: Yahweh prepared a huge fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. In the New Testament, Jesus speaks of the sign of Jonah and his three days in the fish.

Show What You Know

  1. Which direction did Jonah go instead of Nineveh?

  2. What is ironic about Jonah's words in verse 9?

  3. How did the sailors respond after the sea became calm?

  4. How long was Jonah in the fish?

Crossword

4231

Across

  1. Yahweh prepared a huge ____ to swallow up Jonah.
  2. That the ____ may be calm to us.
  3. Then the men were exceedingly ____.

Down

  1. And there was a mighty ____ on the sea.
  2. And found a ____ going to Tarshish.

Think About It

  1. Jonah knew the truth about God but still ran from him. What is the difference between knowing about God and obeying him?

  2. God sent the fish to rescue Jonah, even though Jonah had disobeyed. What does this show you about God's mercy toward you?

Memory Verse

He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear Yahweh, the God of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land.”

Jonah 1:9 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for caring for me even when I run. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • When have you felt God was patient with you?
  • How can you obey God quickly when he asks you to do something?
  • What is one way you could live out this chapter this week?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.