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Jonah’s Prayer

[a]Then Jonah prayed to Yahweh his God (A)from the stomach of the fish, and he said,

“I (B)called out of my distress to Yahweh,
And He answered me.
I cried for help from the belly of (C)Sheol;
You heard my voice.
For You had (D)cast me into the deep,
Into the heart of the seas,
And the current surrounded me.
All Your (E)breakers and waves passed over me.
So I said, ‘I have been (F)driven away from [b]Your sight.
Nevertheless I will look again (G)toward Your holy temple.’
(H)Water encompassed me to my very soul.
The great (I)deep surrounded me,
Weeds were wrapped around my head.
I (J)went down to the [c]base of the mountains.
The earth with its (K)bars closed behind me forever,
But You have (L)brought up my life from [d]the pit, O Yahweh my God.
While my soul was (M)fainting within me,
I (N)remembered Yahweh,
And my (O)prayer came to You,
To (P)Your holy temple.
Those who (Q)regard worthless idols
Forsake their lovingkindness,
But as for me, I will (R)sacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving.
That which I have vowed I will (S)pay.
(T)Salvation belongs to Yahweh.”

10 Then Yahweh spoke to the (U)fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land.

Footnotes

  1. Jonah 2:1 Ch 2:2 in Heb
  2. Jonah 2:4 Lit before Your eyes
  3. Jonah 2:6 Lit bases
  4. Jonah 2:6 Or corruption

Jonah’s Prayer

[a]Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. He said,

“I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble,
    and he answered me.
I called to you from the land of the dead,[b]
    and Lord, you heard me!
You threw me into the ocean depths,
    and I sank down to the heart of the sea.
The mighty waters engulfed me;
    I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves.
Then I said, ‘O Lord, you have driven me from your presence.
    Yet I will look once more toward your holy Temple.’

“I sank beneath the waves,
    and the waters closed over me.
    Seaweed wrapped itself around my head.
I sank down to the very roots of the mountains.
    I was imprisoned in the earth,
    whose gates lock shut forever.
But you, O Lord my God,
    snatched me from the jaws of death!
As my life was slipping away,
    I remembered the Lord.
And my earnest prayer went out to you
    in your holy Temple.
Those who worship false gods
    turn their backs on all God’s mercies.
But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise,
    and I will fulfill all my vows.
    For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.”

10 Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach.

Footnotes

  1. 2:1 Verses 2:1-10 are numbered 2:2-11 in Hebrew text.
  2. 2:2 Hebrew from Sheol.