Jonah 2:1-9
2:1 Jonah prayed to the
Lord his God from the stomach of the fish
2:2 and said,
“I called out to the Lord from my distress,
and he answered me;
from the belly of Sheol I cried out for help,
and you heard my prayer.
2:3 You threw me into the deep waters,
into the middle of the sea;
the ocean current engulfed me;
all the mighty waves you sent swept over me.
2:4 I thought I had been banished from your sight,
that I would never again see your holy temple!
2:5 Water engulfed me up to my neck;
the deep ocean surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.
2:6 I went down to the very bottoms of the mountains;
the gates of the netherworld barred me in forever;
but you brought me up from the Pit, O Lord, my God.
2:7 When my life was ebbing away, I called out to the Lord,
and my prayer came to your holy temple.
2:8 Those who worship worthless idols forfeit the mercy that could be theirs.
2:9 But as for me, I promise to offer a sacrifice to you with a public declaration of praise;
I will surely do what I have promised.
Salvation belongs to the Lord!”