Jonah’s Prayer

1Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the stomach of the fish, 2and said,

“I called out of my trouble and distress to the LORD,

And He answered me;

Out of the belly of Sheol I cried for help,

And You heard my voice.

3“For You cast me into the deep,

Into the [deep] heart of the seas,

And the currents surrounded and engulfed me;

All Your breakers and billowing waves passed over me.

4“Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight.

Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.’

5“The waters surrounded me, to the point of death.

The great deep engulfed me,

Seaweed was wrapped around my head.

6“I descended to the [very] roots of the mountains.

The earth with its bars closed behind me [bolting me in] forever,

Yet You have brought up my life from the pit (death), O LORD my God.

7“When my soul was fainting within me,

I remembered the LORD,

And my prayer came to You,

Into Your holy temple.

8“Those who regard and follow worthless idols

[a]Turn away from their [living source of] mercy and lovingkindness.

9“But [as for me], I will sacrifice to You

With the voice of thanksgiving;

I shall pay that which I have vowed.

Salvation is from the LORD!”

10So the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land.