Jonah 1:17–2:10

Jonah’s Prayer

¹⁷Now the Lord provided^y a huge fish to swallow Jonah,^z and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

2^aFrom inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. ²He 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.

³You 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

⁴I said, ‘I have been banished

from your sight;^g

yet I will look again

toward your holy temple.’^h

⁵The engulfing waters threatened me,^b

the deep surrounded me;

seaweed was wrapped around my head.ⁱ

⁶To 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

⁷“When my life was ebbing away,

I remembered^l you, Lord,

and my prayer^m rose to you,

to your holy temple.ⁿ

⁸“Those who cling to worthless idols^o

turn away from God’s love for them.

⁹But 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.’ ”

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