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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.