Jonah’s Prayer

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

I called to the Lord in my distress,(B)
and he answered me.
I cried out for help from deep inside[a] Sheol;(C)
you heard my voice.(D)
When you threw me into the depths,(E)
into the heart of the seas,(F)
the current[b] overcame me.
All your breakers and your billows swept over me.(G)
And I said, “I have been banished(H)
from your sight,(I)
yet I will look[c] once more
toward your holy temple.”(J)
The water engulfed me up to the neck;[d](K)
the watery depths overcame me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.(L)
I sank to the foundations of the mountains,(M)
the earth’s gates shut behind me forever!(N)
Then you raised my life(O) from the Pit, Lord my God!(P)
As my life was fading away,(Q)
I remembered the Lord,(R)
and my prayer came to you,(S)
to your holy temple.(T)
Those who cherish worthless idols(U)
abandon their faithful love,(V)
but as for me, I will sacrifice(W) to you
with a voice of thanksgiving.(X)
I will fulfill(Y) what I have vowed.
Salvation[e] belongs to the Lord.(Z)

10 Then the Lord commanded the fish,(AA) and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Footnotes

  1. 2:2 Lit from the stomach of
  2. 2:3 Lit river
  3. 2:4 LXX reads sight. Will I look...?
  4. 2:5 Or me, threatening my life
  5. 2:9 Or Deliverance

While Jonah was ·inside [L in the belly/innards of] the fish, he prayed to the Lord his God and said,

“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.
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.
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.’
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.
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.

“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.

“People who ·worship [cling to] ·useless [worthless; false] idols
    ·give up their loyalty to you [or forfeit the mercy/lovingkindness that is theirs].
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.

Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly,

And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.

Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.

I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God.

When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.

10 And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.