Jonah 2
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 2
Jonah’s Prayer. 1 But the Lord sent a great fish to swallow Jonah, and he remained in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.(A) 2 Jonah prayed to the Lord, his God, from the belly of the fish:
3 [a]Out of my distress I called to the Lord,
and he answered me;
From the womb of Sheol[b] I cried for help,
and you heard my voice.(B)
4 You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the sea,
and the flood enveloped me;
All your breakers and your billows
passed over me.(C)
5 Then I said, “I am banished from your sight!
How will I again look upon your holy temple?”(D)
6 The waters surged around me up to my neck;
the deep enveloped me;
seaweed wrapped around my head.(E)
7 I went down to the roots of the mountains;
to the land whose bars closed behind me forever,
But you brought my life up from the pit,
O Lord, my God.(F)
8 When I became faint,
I remembered the Lord;
My prayer came to you
in your holy temple.(G)
9 Those who worship worthless idols
abandon their hope for mercy.(H)
10 But I, with thankful voice,
will sacrifice to you;
What I have vowed I will pay:
deliverance is from the Lord.(I)
11 Then the Lord commanded the fish to vomit Jonah upon dry land.
Footnotes
- 2:3–10 These verses, which may have originally been an independent composition, are a typical example of a song of thanksgiving, a common psalm genre (e.g., Ps 116; Is 38:9–20). Such a song is relevant here, since Jonah has not drowned, and the imagery of vv. 4, 6 is appropriate.
- 2:3 Sheol: cf. note on Ps 6:6.
Jonah 2
Names of God Bible
Jonah’s Prayer inside the Fish
2 [a]From inside the fish Jonah prayed to Yahweh his Elohim.
2 Jonah prayed:
“I called to Yahweh in my distress,
and he answered me.
From the depths of my watery grave I cried for help,
and you heard my cry.
3 You threw me into the deep, into the depths of the sea,
and water surrounded me.
All the whitecaps on your waves have swept over me.
4 “Then I thought,
‘I have been banished from your sight.
Will I ever see your holy temple again?’
5 “Water surrounded me, threatening my life.
The deep sea covered me completely.
Seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6 I sank to the foot of the mountains.
I sank to the bottom,
where bars held me forever.
But you brought me back from the pit, O Yahweh, my Elohim.
7 “As my life was slipping away, I remembered Yahweh.
My prayer came to you in your holy temple.
8 Those who hold on to worthless idols abandon their loyalty to you.
9 But I will sacrifice to you with songs of thanksgiving.
I will keep my vow.
Victory belongs to Yahweh!”
10 Then Yahweh spoke to the fish, and it spit Jonah out onto the shore.
Footnotes
- Jonah 2:1 Jonah 2:1–10 in English Bibles is Jonah 2:2–11 in the Hebrew Bible.
Jonah 2
New American Standard Bible
Jonah’s Prayer
2 [a]Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God (A)from the stomach of the fish, 2 and he said,
“I (B)called out of my distress to the Lord,
And He answered me.
I called for help from the [b]depth of (C)Sheol;
You heard my voice.
3 For You (D)threw me into the deep,
Into the heart of the seas,
And the current flowed around me.
All Your (E)breakers and waves passed over me.
4 So I said, ‘I have been (F)cast out [c]of Your sight.
Nevertheless I will look again (G)toward Your holy temple.’
5 (H)Water encompassed me to the [d]point of death.
The (I)deep flowed around me,
Seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6 I (J)descended to the base of the mountains.
The earth with its (K)bars was around me forever,
But You have (L)brought up my life from [e]the pit, Lord my God.
7 While [f]I was (M)fainting away,
I (N)remembered the Lord,
And my (O)prayer came to You,
Into (P)Your holy temple.
8 Those who (Q)are followers of worthless [g]idols
Abandon their faithfulness,
9 But I will (R)sacrifice to You
With a voice of thanksgiving.
That which I have vowed I will (S)pay.
(T)Salvation is from the Lord.”
10 Then the Lord commanded the (U)fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
