Jonah 2
Common English Bible
2 Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish:
2 “I called out to the Lord in my distress, and he answered me.
        From the belly of the underworld[a] I cried out for help;
        you have heard my voice.
3 You had cast me into the depths in the heart of the seas,
        and the flood surrounds me.
        All your strong waves and rushing water passed over me.
4 So I said, ‘I have been driven away from your sight.
        Will I ever again look on your holy temple?
5 Waters have grasped me to the point of death;
        the deep surrounds me.
Seaweed is wrapped around my head
6         at the base of the undersea[b] mountains.
I have sunk down to the underworld;
        its bars held me with no end in sight.
        But you brought me out of the pit.’
7 When my endurance[c] was weakening,
        I remembered the Lord,
        and my prayer came to you,
            to your holy temple.
8 Those deceived by worthless things lose their chance for mercy.[d]
9 But me, I will offer a sacrifice to you with a voice of thanks.
        That which I have promised, I will pay.
            Deliverance belongs to the Lord!”
10 Then the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto the dry land.
Jonah 2
Revised Standard Version
A Psalm of Thanksgiving
2 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying,
“I called to the Lord, out of my distress,
    and he answered me;
out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
    and thou didst hear my voice.
3 For thou didst cast me into the deep,
    into the heart of the seas,
    and the flood was round about me;
all thy waves and thy billows
    passed over me.
4 Then I said, ‘I am cast out
    from thy presence;
how shall I again look
    upon thy holy temple?’
5 The waters closed in over me,
    the deep was round about me;
weeds were wrapped about my head
6     at the roots of the mountains.
I went down to the land
    whose bars closed upon me for ever;
yet thou didst bring up my life from the Pit,
    O Lord my God.
7 When my soul fainted within me,
    I remembered the Lord;
and my prayer came to thee,
    into thy holy temple.
8 Those who pay regard to vain idols
    forsake their true loyalty.
9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving
    will sacrifice to thee;
what I have vowed I will pay.
    Deliverance belongs to the Lord!”
10 And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
Jonah 2
New King James Version
Jonah’s Prayer and God’s Answer
2 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly. 2 And he said:
“Out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
And You heard my voice.
3 (C)For You cast me into the deep,
Into the heart of the seas,
And the floods surrounded me;
(D)All Your billows and Your waves passed over me.
4 (E)Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight;
Yet I will look again (F)toward Your holy temple.’
5 The (G)waters surrounded me, even to my soul;
The deep closed around me;
Weeds were wrapped around my head.
6 I went down to the [a]moorings of the mountains;
The earth with its bars closed behind me forever;
Yet You have brought up my (H)life from the pit,
O Lord, my God.
7 “When my soul fainted within me,
I remembered the Lord;
(I)And my prayer went up to You,
Into Your holy temple.
8 “Those who regard (J)worthless idols
Forsake their own [b]Mercy.
9 But I will (K)sacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving;
I will pay what I have (L)vowed.
(M)Salvation is of the (N)Lord.”
10 So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
