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Jonah’s Prayer

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish. He said the following:

    In my distress I called to the Lord,
    and he answered me.
    From the belly of the grave I cried out,
    and you heard my voice.
You threw me into the depths,
    into the heart of the seas.
    The currents swept around[a] me.
    All your breakers and your waves swept over me.
I said, “I have been driven away from your sight.
    Nevertheless, I will once again look toward your holy temple.”
Waters engulfed me so that I was near death.
    The deep surrounded me.
    Seaweed was wrapped around my head.
To the roots of the mountains I sank down.
    The earth locked me behind its bars forever.
    But you brought my life up from the pit, O Lord, my God.
When my life was ebbing away, I remembered the Lord.
    My prayer came to you, to your holy temple.
Those who cling to worthless idols forsake the mercy that is theirs.
But I, with a shout of thanksgiving, will indeed sacrifice to you.
    What I have vowed, I will certainly pay in full.
    Salvation belongs to the Lord!

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

Footnotes

  1. Jonah 2:3 The Hebrew word can mean surround with protection, but the context seems to refer to something threatenin g.

[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