1Then Jonah prayed2:1. 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.
2He began, “In my agony I cried out to the Lord and he answered me; from the depths of Sheol2:2. Sheol: the place of the dead. I pleaded for help and you answered me.
3You threw me into the deep, all the way down to the bottom of the sea.2:3. Literally, “the heart of the sea.” Water flooded all around me; your crashing waves rolled over me.
4I said to myself, ‘The Lord has banished me from his sight. Will I ever see your holy Temple again?’2:4. Or “but even so I will see your holy Temple again.”
5The water swirled over me so I couldn't breathe; the deep sucked me down; seaweed wrapped itself around my head.
6I 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.
7As my life ebbed away, I remembered the Lord; my prayer came to you in your holy Temple.
8Those who worship worthless idols give up their trust in God's goodness.
9But I will offer you sacrifices, shouting out my thanks. I will keep my promises to you, for salvation comes from the Lord.”
10Then the Lord told the fish to spit out Jonah onto the shore.