2
Jonah’s Prayer
1 From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to the LORD his God, 2 saying:
“In my distress I called to the LORD,
and He answered me.
From the belly of Sheol I called for help,
and You heard my voice.
3 For You cast me into the deep,
into the heart of the seas,
and the current swirled about me;
all Your breakers and waves swept over me.
4 At this, I said,
‘I have been banished from Your sight;
yet I will look once more
toward Your holy temple.’
5 The waters engulfed me
to take my life;
the watery depths closed around me;
the seaweed wrapped around my head.
6 To the roots of the mountains I descended;
the earth beneath me barred me in forever!
But You raised my life from the pit,
O LORD my God!
7 As my life was fading away,
I remembered the LORD.
My prayer went up to You,
to Your holy temple.
8 Those who cling to worthless idols
forsake His loving devotion.*
9 But I, with the voice of thanksgiving,
will sacrifice to You.
I will fulfill what I have vowed.
Salvation is from the LORD!”
10 And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
* 2:8 Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as loving devotion; the range of meaning includes love, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and mercy, as well as loyalty to a covenant.