Add parallel Print Page Options

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

Now Adonai prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.[a][b]

Jonah’s Prayer of Distress

Then Jonah prayed to Adonai his God from the belly of the fish, saying:

“From my distress I cried to Adonai
    and He answered me.
From the belly of Sheol I cried for help
    and you heard my voice.[c]
For you hurled me from the deep
        into the heart of the seas,
    and currents swirled around me.
All your waves and your breakers
    swept over me.”
And I said, “I have been banished
        from before your eyes.
    Yet I will continue to look
        toward your holy Temple.”
Waters surrounded me up to my soul.
    The deep sea engulfed me—
        reeds clung to my head.
To the bottoms of the mountains I went down.
    The earth with her bars was around me, forever!
    Yet You brought my life up from the Pit,
        Adonai my God.
As my soul was fading from me,
    I remembered Adonai
    and my prayer came to You,
        toward Your holy Temple.
Those who watch worthless empty things
    forsake their mercy.
10 But I, with a voice of thanks
        will sacrifice to you.
    What I vowed, I will pay.
    Salvation is from Adonai.”

11 Then Adonai spoke to the fish and it vomited Jonah onto the dry land.

Footnotes

  1. Jonah 2:1 Most translations, 2:1 is 1:17.
  2. Jonah 2:1 cf. Matt. 12:40; 16:4.
  3. Jonah 2:3 cf. Acts 13:35.