Jonah’s Prayer

[a]Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God (A)from the stomach of the fish, 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.
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.
So I said, ‘I have been (F)cast out [c]of Your sight.
Nevertheless I will look again (G)toward Your holy temple.’
(H)Water encompassed me to the [d]point of death.
The (I)deep flowed around me,
Seaweed was wrapped around my head.
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.
While [f]I was (M)fainting away,
I (N)remembered the Lord,
And my (O)prayer came to You,
Into (P)Your holy temple.
Those who (Q)are followers of worthless [g]idols
Abandon their faithfulness,
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.

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Footnotes

  1. Jonah 2:1 Ch 2:2 in Heb
  2. Jonah 2:2 Lit belly
  3. Jonah 2:4 Lit from Your eyes
  4. Jonah 2:5 Lit soul
  5. Jonah 2:6 Or corruption
  6. Jonah 2:7 Lit my soul within me was
  7. Jonah 2:8 Lit futilities

Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish:

“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.
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.
So I said, ‘I have been driven away from your sight.
        Will I ever again look on your holy temple?
Waters have grasped me to the point of death;
        the deep surrounds me.
Seaweed is wrapped around my head
        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.’
When my endurance[c] was weakening,
        I remembered the Lord,
        and my prayer came to you,
            to your holy temple.
Those deceived by worthless things lose their chance for mercy.[d]
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.

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Footnotes

  1. Jonah 2:2 Heb Sheol
  2. Jonah 2:6 Heb lacks undersea.
  3. Jonah 2:7 Endurance here renders the same Heb word as life in 1:14 and death in 2:5.
  4. Jonah 2:8 Heb uncertain

[a]From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said:

“In my distress I called(A) to the Lord,(B)
    and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead(C) I called for help,
    and you listened to my cry.
You hurled me into the depths,(D)
    into the very heart of the seas,
    and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves(E) and breakers
    swept over me.(F)
I said, ‘I have been banished
    from your sight;(G)
yet I will look again
    toward your holy temple.’(H)
The engulfing waters threatened me,[b]
    the deep surrounded me;
    seaweed was wrapped around my head.(I)
To the roots of the mountains(J) I sank down;
    the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, Lord my God,
    brought my life up from the pit.(K)

“When my life was ebbing away,
    I remembered(L) you, Lord,
and my prayer(M) rose to you,
    to your holy temple.(N)

“Those who cling to worthless idols(O)
    turn away from God’s love for them.
But I, with shouts of grateful praise,(P)
    will sacrifice(Q) to you.
What I have vowed(R) I will make good.
    I will say, ‘Salvation(S) comes from the Lord.’”

10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

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Footnotes

  1. Jonah 2:1 In Hebrew texts 2:1 is numbered 1:17, and 2:1-10 is numbered 2:2-11.
  2. Jonah 2:5 Or waters were at my throat