Jonah’s Prayer and God’s Answer

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly. And he said:

“I (A)cried out to the Lord because of my affliction,
(B)And He answered me.

“Out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
And You heard my voice.
(C)For You cast me into the deep,
Into the heart of the seas,
And the floods surrounded me;
(D)All Your billows and Your waves passed over me.
(E)Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight;
Yet I will look again (F)toward Your holy temple.’
The (G)waters surrounded me, even to my soul;
The deep closed around me;
Weeds were wrapped around my head.
I went down to the [a]moorings of the mountains;
The earth with its bars closed behind me forever;
Yet You have brought up my (H)life from the pit,
O Lord, my God.

“When my soul fainted within me,
I remembered the Lord;
(I)And my prayer went up to You,
Into Your holy temple.

“Those who regard (J)worthless idols
Forsake their own [b]Mercy.
But I will (K)sacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving;
I will pay what I have (L)vowed.
(M)Salvation is of the (N)Lord.”

10 So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Footnotes

  1. Jonah 2:6 foundations or bases
  2. Jonah 2:8 Or Lovingkindness

(02-2) Allora Giona pregò l'Eterno, il suo DIO, dal ventre del pesce e disse:

(02-3) «Nella mia sventura ho gridato all'Eterno ed egli mi ha risposto dal grembo dello Sceol, ho gridato e tu hai udito la mia voce.

(02-4) Mi hai gettato in un luogo profondo, nel cuore dei mari, la corrente mi ha circondato e tutti i tuoi flutti e le tue onde mi sono passati sopra.

(02-5) Allora ho detto: Sono stato scacciato dalla tua presenza. Eppure guarderò ancora verso il tuo santo tempio.

(02-6) Le acque mi hanno circondato fino all'anima, l'abisso mi ha avvolto, le alghe si sono avvolte intorno al mio capo.

(02-7) Sono disceso fino alle fondamenta dei monti, la terra chiuse le sue sbarre dietro a me per sempre, ma tu hai fatto risalire la mia vita dalla fossa, o Eterno, mio DIO.

(02-8) Quando la mia anima veniva meno dentro di me, mi sono ricordato dell'Eterno, e la mia preghiera è giunta fino a te, nel tuo santo tempio.

(02-9) Quelli che riguardano alle vanità bugiarde abbandonano la fonte stessa della loro grazia.

(02-10) Ma io con voci di lode ti offrirò sacrifici a e adempirò i voti che ho fatto. La salvezza, appartiene all'Eterno».

10 (02-11) Allora l'Eterno parlò al pesce e il pesce vomitò Giona sull'asciutto.

[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.

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