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Jonah's prayer

From inside the fish's stomach, Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.

He said,

    ‘When I was in trouble, I called out to the Lord,
        and he answered my prayer.
    Yes, I called out to you for help from the deep hole of death,
        and you heard my prayer.[a]
    You threw me into the deep water,
        and I fell into the middle of the sea.
    The deep water covered me.
        You sent big waves to roll over me.
    I said to myself,
        “You have sent me far away from you.
        Now I will never see your holy temple again.”[b]
    The deep water of the sea covered me,
        so that my life was in danger.
    The plants in the sea were all around my head.
    I went very deep in the water,
        as far as the bottom of the mountains.
    Deep in the earth, I was in a prison,
        and its gates had shut for ever.
    But, Lord, my God,
        you brought me up from that deep hole.
    When my life was nearly gone, I prayed to you, Lord.
        In your holy temple, you heard my prayer for help.
    Idols cannot help.
        People who worship them have turned away from a faithful God.
    But as for me, I will sing to thank you.
        I will offer a sacrifice to you.
    I will do everything that I have promised to do.
        The Lord is the one who saves people!’

10 Then the Lord told the great fish to spit Jonah out from its stomach. So it dropped Jonah onto the shore.

Footnotes

  1. 2:2 The stomach of the great fish seemed as if it was Jonah's grave. He calls it the deep hole of death, the place where people go when they die.
  2. 2:4 Or possibly: ‘But I know that I will see your holy temple again.’

[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