At the Bottom of the Sea

1-9 Then Jonah prayed to his God from the belly of the fish.

He prayed:

“In trouble, deep trouble, I prayed to God.
    He answered me.
From the belly of the grave I cried, ‘Help!’
    You heard my cry.
You threw me into ocean’s depths,
    into a watery grave,
With ocean waves, ocean breakers
    crashing over me.
I said, ‘I’ve been thrown away,
    thrown out, out of your sight.
I’ll never again lay eyes
    on your Holy Temple.’
Ocean gripped me by the throat.
    The ancient Abyss grabbed me and held tight.
My head was all tangled in seaweed
    at the bottom of the sea where the mountains take root.
I was as far down as a body can go,
    and the gates were slamming shut behind me forever—
Yet you pulled me up from that grave alive,
    O God, my God!
When my life was slipping away,
    I remembered God,
And my prayer got through to you,
    made it all the way to your Holy Temple.
Those who worship hollow gods, god-frauds,
    walk away from their only true love.
But I’m worshiping you, God,
    calling out in thanksgiving!
And I’ll do what I promised I’d do!
    Salvation belongs to God!”

10 Then God spoke to the fish, and it vomited up Jonah on the seashore.

And Jonah prayed to Yahweh his God from the belly of the fish and said,

“I called from my distress[a] to Yahweh,
    and he answered me;
from the belly of Sheol[b] I cried for help—
    you heard my voice.
And you threw me into the deep,
    into the heart of the seas,
    and the sea currents surrounded me;
all your breakers and your surging waves
    passed over me.
And I said, ‘I am banished[c]
    from your sight;
how[d] will I continue to look[e]
    on your holy temple?’[f]
The waters encompassed me up to my neck;
    the deep surrounded me;
    seaweed was wrapped around my head.
I went down to the foundations of the mountains;
    the Underworld—its bars were around me forever.
But you brought up my life from the pit,
    Yahweh my God.
When my life was ebbing away from me,
    I remembered Yahweh,
and my prayer came to you,
    to your holy temple.[g]
Those who worship vain idols
    forsake their loyal love.[h]
But I, with a voice of thanksgiving,
    will sacrifice to you;
I will fulfill what I have vowed.
    Deliverance[i] belongs to Yahweh!”

10 And Yahweh spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out on the dry land.

Footnotes

  1. Jonah 2:2 Literally “from distress for me”
  2. Jonah 2:2 “Sheol” is a Hebrew term for the place where the dead reside (i.e. the Underworld)
  3. Jonah 2:4 Or “expelled,” or “driven away”
  4. Jonah 2:4 Or “however, I will continue to look on your holy temple”
  5. Jonah 2:4 Literally “will I do again to look,” meaning “will I continue to look”
  6. Jonah 2:4 Literally “on the temple of your holiness”
  7. Jonah 2:7 Literally “to the temple of your holiness”
  8. Jonah 2:8 This could mean (1) they forsake the loyal love they should show to God or (2) they forfeit forsake the loyal love that God would have shown to them
  9. Jonah 2:9 Or “salvation”