Jonah 2

Then, from inside the fish, Jonah prayed to the LORD his God.

1Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly,

NoteThe Hebrew says only "great fish": it does not name a species, and "whale" is a later guess that entered English through Greek and Latin translations. Verses 2–9 are a poem, and Hebrew poems of this kind were usually sung or recited; its wording overlaps heavily with the book of Psalms.

2He said: When I was in trouble, I called out to the LORD, and he answered me. From deep in the place of the dead I called for help, and you heard my voice.

2And 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.

Note"The place of the dead" is Hebrew *Sheol*, the shadowy underworld where everyone who died was thought to go, good and bad alike. It is not a place of punishment; the idea of hell as a place of torment belongs to much later writing. To say "from the belly of Sheol" is to say "from as good as dead." Note also that the whole poem speaks in the past tense, a prayer of thanks for a rescue described as already accomplished, even though Jonah is still inside the fish.

3You threw me into the deep water, into the middle of the seas, and the currents swirled all around me. All your waves and breakers swept over me.

3For 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.

4So I said, I have been driven away from where you can see me. Yet I will look once more toward your holy temple.

4Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

NoteThe temple in Jerusalem, understood as the place where God was present to Israel. Israelites away from home prayed facing it, so "look toward your holy temple" describes a physical posture as well as an intention. "Driven away from where you can see me" is the standard phrase for being cut off from a king's presence, banished from court, out of favor, out of reach of help.

5The waters closed over me and were about to take my life. The deep water surrounded me. Seaweed was wrapped around my head.

5The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.

6I sank down to the roots of the mountains. The earth shut me in behind its bars forever. But you brought my life up out of the pit, O LORD my God.

6I 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.

7When my life was slipping away, I remembered the LORD. My prayer came to you, into your holy temple.

7When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

8People who hold on to worthless idols give up the faithful love that could be theirs.

8They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

9But I will offer a sacrifice to you while I give you thanks out loud. I will do what I promised to do. Salvation comes from the LORD.

9But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.

10Then the LORD spoke to the fish, and it spit Jonah out onto dry land.

10And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.