Read the Bible

Jonah's Prayer

¹ From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. ² He said:
"In my distress I called to the LORD ,
and he answered me.
From the depths of the grave ^(F1) I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.

³ You hurled me into the deep,
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
swept over me.

⁴ I said, 'I have been banished
from your sight;
yet I will look again
toward your holy temple.'

⁵ The engulfing waters threatened me,
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.

⁶ To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you brought my life up from the pit,
O LORD my God.

⁷ "When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered you, LORD ,
and my prayer rose to you,
to your holy temple.

⁸ "Those who cling to worthless idols
forfeit the grace that could be theirs.

⁹ But I, with a song of thanksgiving,
will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
Salvation comes from the LORD ."

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