Loading…

Jonah 2:1–6

Jonah’s Prayer

* Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. He said,

“I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble,

and he answered me.

I called to you from the land of the dead,*

and Lord, you heard me!

You threw me into the ocean depths,

and I sank down to the heart of the sea.

The mighty waters engulfed me;

I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves.

Then I said, ‘O Lord, you have driven me from your presence.

Yet I will look once more toward your holy Temple.’

“I sank beneath the waves,

and the waters closed over me.

Seaweed wrapped itself around my head.

I sank down to the very roots of the mountains.

I was imprisoned in the earth,

whose gates lock shut forever.

But you, O Lord my God,

snatched me from the jaws of death!

Read more Explain verse



Jonah 2:1–6 — The New International Version (NIV)

From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said:

“In my distress I called to the Lord,

and he answered me.

From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,

and you listened to my cry.

You hurled me into the depths,

into the very heart of the seas,

and the currents swirled about me;

all your waves and breakers

swept over me.

I said, ‘I have been banished

from your sight;

yet I will look again

toward your holy temple.’

The engulfing waters threatened me,

the deep surrounded me;

seaweed was wrapped around my head.

To the roots of the mountains I sank down;

the earth beneath barred me in forever.

But you, Lord my God,

brought my life up from the pit.

Jonah 2:1–6 — English Standard Version (ESV)

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, saying,

“I called out to the Lord, out of my distress,

and he answered me;

out of the belly of Sheol I cried,

and you heard my voice.

For you cast me into the deep,

into the heart of the seas,

and the flood surrounded me;

all your waves and your billows

passed over me.

Then I said, ‘I am driven away

from your sight;

yet I shall again look

upon your holy temple.’

The waters closed in over me to take my life;

the deep surrounded me;

weeds were wrapped about my head

at the roots of the mountains.

I went down to the land

whose bars closed upon me forever;

yet you brought up my life from the pit,

O Lord my God.

Jonah 2:1–6 — King James Version (KJV 1900)

Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly, And said,

I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me;

Out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas;

And the floods compassed me about:

All thy billows and thy waves passed over me.

Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight;

Yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

The waters compassed me about, even to the soul:

The depth closed me round about,

The weeds were wrapped about my head.

I went down to the bottoms of the mountains;

The earth with her bars was about me for ever:

Yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God.

Jonah 2:1–6 — The New King James Version (NKJV)

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly. And he said:

“I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction,

And He answered me.

“Out of the belly of Sheol I cried,

And You heard my voice.

For You cast me into the deep,

Into the heart of the seas,

And the floods surrounded me;

All Your billows and Your waves passed over me.

Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight;

Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.’

The waters surrounded me, even to my soul;

The deep closed around me;

Weeds were wrapped around my head.

I went down to the moorings of the mountains;

The earth with its bars closed behind me forever;

Yet You have brought up my life from the pit,

O Lord, my God.

Jonah 2:1–6 — New Century Version (NCV)

While Jonah was inside the fish, he prayed to the Lord his God and said,

“When I was in danger,

I called to the Lord,

and he answered me.

I was about to die,

so I cried to you,

and you heard my voice.

You threw me into the sea,

down, down into the deep sea.

The water was all around me,

and your powerful waves flowed over me.

I said, ‘I was driven out of your presence,

but I hope to see your Holy Temple again.’

The waters of the sea closed around my throat.

The deep sea was all around me;

seaweed was wrapped around my head.

When I went down to where the mountains of the sea start to rise,

I thought I was locked in this prison forever,

but you saved me from the pit of death,

Lord my God.

Jonah 2:1–6 — American Standard Version (ASV)

Then Jonah prayed unto Jehovah his God out of the fish’s belly. And he said,

I called by reason of mine affliction unto Jehovah,

And he answered me;

Out of the belly of Sheol cried I,

And thou heardest my voice.

For thou didst cast me into the depth, in the heart of the seas,

And the flood was round about me;

All thy waves and thy billows passed over me.

And I said, I am cast out from before thine eyes;

Yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

The waters compassed me about, even to the soul;

The deep was round about me;

The weeds were wrapped about my head.

I went down to the bottoms of the mountains;

The earth with its bars closed upon me for ever:

Yet hast thou brought up my life from the pit, O Jehovah my God.

Jonah 2:1–6 — 1890 Darby Bible (DARBY)

And Jonah prayed unto Jehovah his God out of the fish’s belly; and he said: I cried by reason of my distress unto Jehovah, and he answered me; Out of the belly of Sheol cried I: thou heardest my voice. For thou didst cast me into the depth, into the heart of the seas, And the flood was round about me: All thy breakers and thy billows are gone over me. And I said, I am cast out from before thine eyes, Yet will I look again toward thy holy temple. The waters encompassed me, to the soul: The deep was round about me, The weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; The bars of the earth closed upon me for ever: But thou hast brought up my life from the pit, O Jehovah my God.

Jonah 2:1–6 — GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. 

Jonah prayed: 

“I called to the Lord in my distress, 

and he answered me. 

From the depths of my ⸤watery⸥ grave I cried for help, 

and you heard my cry. 

You threw me into the deep, into the depths of the sea, 

and water surrounded me. 

All the whitecaps on your waves have swept over me. 

“Then I thought, 

‘I have been banished from your sight. 

Will I ever see your holy temple again?’ 

“Water surrounded me, threatening my life. 

The deep ⸤sea⸥ covered me completely. 

Seaweed was wrapped around my head. 

I sank to the foot of the mountains. 

I sank to the bottom, 

where bars held me forever. 

But you brought me back from the pit, O Lord, my God. 

Jonah 2:1–6 — The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish:

I called to the Lord in my distress,

and He answered me.

I cried out for help in the belly of Sheol;

You heard my voice.

You threw me into the depths,

into the heart of the seas,

and the current overcame me.

All Your breakers and Your billows swept over me.

But I said: I have been banished

from Your sight,

yet I will look once more

toward Your holy temple.

The waters engulfed me up to the neck;

the watery depths overcame me;

seaweed was wrapped around my head.

I sank to the foundations of the mountains;

the earth with its prison bars closed behind me forever!

But You raised my life from the Pit, Lord my God!

Jonah 2:1–6 — The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, saying,

“I called to the Lord out of my distress,

and he answered me;

out of the belly of Sheol I cried,

and you heard my voice.

You cast me into the deep,

into the heart of the seas,

and the flood surrounded me;

all your waves and your billows

passed over me.

Then I said, ‘I am driven away

from your sight;

how shall I look again

upon your holy temple?’

The waters closed in over me;

the deep surrounded me;

weeds were wrapped around my head

at the roots of the mountains.

I went down to the land

whose bars closed upon me forever;

yet you brought up my life from the Pit,

O Lord my God.

Jonah 2:1–6 — The Lexham English Bible (LEB)

And Jonah prayed to Yahweh his God from the belly of the fish and said,

“I called from my distress to Yahweh,

and he answered me;

from the belly of Sheol I cried for help—

you heard my voice.

And you threw me into the deep,

into the heart of the seas,

and the sea currents surrounded me;

all your breakers and your surging waves

passed over me.

And I said, ‘I am banished

from your sight;

how will I continue to look

on your holy temple?’

The waters encompassed me up to my neck;

the deep surrounded me;

seaweed was wrapped around my head.

I went down to the foundations of the mountains;

the Underworld—its bars were around me forever.

But you brought up my life from the pit,

Yahweh my God.

Jonah 2:1–6 — New International Reader’s Version (1998) (NIrV)

From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said,

“When I was in trouble, I called out to you.

And you answered me.

When I had almost drowned,

I called out for help.

And you listened to my cry.

You threw me into the Mediterranean Sea.

I was in the middle of its waters.

They were all around me.

All of your rolling waves

were sweeping over me.

I said, ‘I have been driven away from you.

But I will look again

toward your holy temple in Jerusalem.’

I had almost drowned in the waves.

The deep waters were all around me.

Seaweed was wrapped around my head.

I sank down to the bottom of the mountains.

I thought I had died

and gone down into the grave forever.

But you brought my life up

from the very edge of the pit.

You are the Lord my God.

Jonah 2:1–6 — New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (NASB95)

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish,

and he said,

“I called out of my distress to the Lord,

And He answered me.

I cried for help from the depth of Sheol;

You heard my voice.

“For You had cast me into the deep,

Into the heart of the seas,

And the current engulfed me.

All Your breakers and billows passed over me.

“So I said, ‘I have been expelled from Your sight.

Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.’

Water encompassed me to the point of death.

The great deep engulfed me,

Weeds were wrapped around my head.

“I descended to the roots of the mountains.

The earth with its bars was around me forever,

But You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God.


A service of Logos Bible Software