Jonah 2
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 2
1 Then the Lord ordained that a large fish would swallow Jonah and he remained in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.
Prayer of Deliverance[a]
2 Then from the belly of the fish Jonah offered this prayer to the Lord, his God:
3 In my distress I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.
From the belly of the netherworld I cried out for help,
and you heard my voice.
4 For you cast me into the deep,
into the heart of the sea,
and the flood enveloped me;
all your waves and your billows swept over me.
5 Then I thought, “I have been banished from your sight.
Will I ever be allowed again
to look upon your holy temple?”
6 The waters around me rose to my neck,
and the deep was closing around me;
seaweed was twined around my head.
7 Down I plunged to the roots of the mountains,
sinking to the netherworld
whose bars would imprison me forever.
But you brought me up alive from the pit,
O Lord, my God.
8 As my life was ebbing away,
I remembered the Lord,
and my prayer reached you
in your holy temple.
9 Those who worship false gods
abandon the source of their mercy.
10 But I with hymns of praise
will offer sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will fulfill.
Salvation comes from the Lord.
11 Then, in response to a command from the Lord, the fish spewed Jonah out upon the land.
Jonah 2
Expanded Bible
2 While Jonah was ·inside [L in the belly/innards of] the fish, he prayed to the Lord his God and said,
2 “When I was in ·danger [distress],
I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.
·I was about to die [L From the belly of Sheol; C the place of the dead],
so I cried to you,
and you heard my voice.
3 You threw me into the ·sea [ocean depths; deep],
down, down into the ·deep [L heart of the] sea.
The ·water [flood] ·was all around [engulfed] me,
and your ·powerful [surging; billowing] waves ·flowed [swept] over me.
4 I said, ‘I was ·driven out of your presence [banished from your sight],
·but I hope to see [yet I will look toward] your Holy Temple again.’
5 The waters of the sea closed around my ·throat [or soul].
The deep sea ·was all around [surrounded; closed in on] me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6 When I ·went [sank] down to ·where the mountains of the sea start to rise [L the roots of the mountains],
·I thought I was locked in this prison [the earth’s bars held me] forever,
but you ·saved me [L brought up my life] from the pit of death,
Lord my God.
7 “When my life ·had almost gone [was slipping/fainting away],
I remembered the Lord.
·I prayed [L My prayer went up] to you,
·and you heard my prayers in [L in] your Holy Temple.
8 “People who ·worship [cling to] ·useless [worthless; false] idols
·give up their loyalty to you [or forfeit the mercy/lovingkindness that is theirs].
9 But ·I will praise and thank you
while I [L with a voice of thanksgiving I will] give sacrifices to you,
and I will ·keep my promises to you [L pay what I have vowed].
Salvation comes from the Lord!”
10 Then the Lord spoke to the fish, and the fish ·threw up [vomited] Jonah onto the dry land.
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