Jonah 2:2–9

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 breakers and your waves

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.

To 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.

When my life was fainting away,

I remembered the Lord,

and my prayer came to you,

into your holy temple.

Those who pay regard to vain idols

forsake their hope of steadfast love.

But I with the voice of thanksgiving

will sacrifice to you;

what I have vowed I will pay.

Salvation belongs to the Lord!”

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.

“When my life was ebbing away,

I remembered you, Lord,

and my prayer rose to you,

to your holy temple.

“Those who cling to worthless idols

turn away from God’s love for them.

But I, with shouts of grateful praise,

will sacrifice to you.

What I have vowed I will make good.

I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’ ”

I called to the Lord in my distress,

and he answered me.

I cried out for help from deep inside Sheol;

you heard my voice.

When you threw me into the depths,

into the heart of the seas,

the current overcame me.

All your breakers and your billows swept over me.

And I said, “I have been banished

from your sight,

yet I will look once more

toward your holy temple.

The water 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’s gates shut behind me forever!

Then you raised my life from the Pit, Lord my God!

As my life was fading away,

I remembered the Lord,

and my prayer came to you,

to your holy temple.

Those who cherish worthless idols

abandon their faithful love,

but as for me, I will sacrifice to you

with a voice of thanksgiving.

I will fulfill what I have vowed.

Salvation belongs to the Lord.

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!

As my life was slipping away,

I remembered the Lord.

And my earnest prayer went out to you

in your holy Temple.

Those who worship false gods

turn their backs on all God’s mercies.

But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise,

and I will fulfill all my vows.

For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.”

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.

When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord:

And my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving;

I will pay that that I have vowed.

Salvation is of the Lord.