2 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
2 Then Jonah prayed to Adonai his God from the belly of the fish, 3 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]
4 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.”
5 And I said, “I have been banished
from before your eyes.
Yet I will continue to look
toward your holy Temple.”
6 Waters surrounded me up to my soul.
The deep sea engulfed me—
reeds clung to my head.
7 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.
8 As my soul was fading from me,
I remembered Adonai
and my prayer came to You,
toward Your holy Temple.
9 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
- Jonah 2:1 Most translations, 2:1 is 1:17.
- Jonah 2:1 cf. Matt. 12:40; 16:4.
- Jonah 2:3 cf. Acts 13:35.