1 Then Jonah prayed to theLordhis God from the fish’s belly.
2 And he said:
# “Icried out to theLordbecause of my affliction,
# And He answered me.
“Out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
AndYou heard my voice.
3 For You cast me into the deep,
Into the heart of the seas,
And the floods surrounded me;
# All Your billows and Your waves passed over me.
4 Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight;
# Yet I will look againtoward Your holy temple.’
5 Thewaters surrounded me,evento my soul;
The deep closed around me;
Weeds were wrapped around my head.
6 I went down to the moorings of the mountains;
The earth with its barsclosedbehind me forever;
# Yet You have brought up mylife from the pit,
OLord, my God.
7 “When my soul fainted within me,
I remembered theLord;
# And my prayer wentupto You,
Into Your holy temple.
8 “Those who regardworthless idols
Forsake their own Mercy.
9 But I willsacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving;
# I will pay what I havevowed.
# Salvationisof theLord.”
10 So theLordspoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dryland.