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1 Then Jonah prayed* It is significant that Jonah is not recorded as praying until this point in the story. to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish. 2 He began, “In my agony I cried out to the Lord and he answered me; from the depths of Sheol† Sheol: the place of the dead. I pleaded for help and you answered me. 3 You threw me into the deep, all the way down to the bottom of the sea.‡ Literally, “the heart of the sea.” Water flooded all around me; your crashing waves rolled over me. 4 I said to myself, ‘The Lord has banished me from his sight. Will I ever see your holy Temple again?’§ Or “but even so I will see your holy Temple again.” 5 The water swirled over me so I couldn't breathe; the deep sucked me down; seaweed wrapped itself around my head. 6 I sank down to the base of the mountains; the earth barred me in forever. But you, my Lord, my God, brought me back up from the abyss.
7 As my life ebbed away, I remembered the Lord; my prayer came to you in your holy Temple. 8 Those who worship worthless idols give up their trust in God's goodness. 9 But I will offer you sacrifices, shouting out my thanks. I will keep my promises to you, for salvation comes from the Lord.”
10 Then the Lord told the fish to spit out Jonah onto the shore.

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*2:1 It is significant that Jonah is not recorded as praying until this point in the story.

†2:2 Sheol: the place of the dead.

‡2:3 Literally, “the heart of the sea.”

§2:4 Or “but even so I will see your holy Temple again.”

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher