JONAH’S PRAYER
Key verse: 2:9
NIV
Jonah’s Prayer
17 Now the Lord provided(A) a huge fish to swallow Jonah,(B) and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. 2 1 [a]From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. 2 He said:
“In my distress I called(C) to the Lord,(D)
and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead(E) I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.
3 You hurled me into the depths,(F)
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves(G) and breakers
swept over me.(H)
4 I said, ‘I have been banished
from your sight;(I)
yet I will look again
toward your holy temple.’(J)
5 The engulfing waters threatened me,[b]
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.(K)
6 To the roots of the mountains(L) I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, Lord my God,
brought my life up from the pit.(M)
7 “When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered(N) you, Lord,
and my prayer(O) rose to you,
to your holy temple.(P)
8 “Those who cling to worthless idols(Q)
turn away from God’s love for them.
9 But I, with shouts of grateful praise,(R)
will sacrifice(S) to you.
What I have vowed(T) I will make good.
I will say, ‘Salvation(U) comes from the Lord.’”
10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
Footnotes
Cross references
- Jonah 1:17 : Jnh 4:6, 7
- Jonah 1:17 : Mt 12:40; 16:4; Lk 11:30
- Jonah 2:2 : La 3:55
- Jonah 2:2 : Ps 18:6; 120:1
- Jonah 2:2 : Ps 86:13
- Jonah 2:3 : S Ps 88:6
- Jonah 2:3 : S 2Sa 22:5
- Jonah 2:3 : S Ps 42:7
- Jonah 2:4 : Ps 31:22; Jer 7:15
- Jonah 2:4 : S 1Ki 8:48
- Jonah 2:5 : Ps 69:1-2
- Jonah 2:6 : Job 28:9
- Jonah 2:6 : S Job 17:16; S 33:18; S Ps 30:3
- Jonah 2:7 : Ps 77:11-12
- Jonah 2:7 : 2Ch 30:27
- Jonah 2:7 : S Ps 11:4; 18:6
- Jonah 2:8 : S Dt 32:21; S 1Sa 12:21
- Jonah 2:9 : S Ps 42:4
- Jonah 2:9 : Ps 50:14, 23; Heb 13:15
- Jonah 2:9 : S Nu 30:2; Ps 116:14; S Ecc 5:4-5
- Jonah 2:9 : S Ex 15:2; S Ps 3:8
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
A Great Fish Swallows Jonah
17 [a] And the Lord appointed[b] a great fish to swallow up Jonah. (A)And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah's Prayer
2 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying,
(B)“I called out to the Lord, out of my distress,
and he answered me;
(C)out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
(D)and you heard my voice.
3 (E)For you cast me into the deep,
into the heart of the seas,
and the flood surrounded me;
(F)all your waves and your billows
passed over me.
4 (G)Then I said, ‘I am driven away
from your sight;
(H)yet I shall again look
upon your holy temple.’
5 (I)The waters closed in over me (J)to take my life;
the deep surrounded me;
weeds were wrapped about my head
6 at the roots of the mountains.
I went down to the land
whose bars closed upon me forever;
yet you brought up my life from the pit,
O Lord my God.
7 When my life was fainting away,
I remembered the Lord,
(K)and my prayer came to you,
into your holy temple.
8 (L)Those who pay regard to vain idols
(M)forsake their hope of steadfast love.
9 (N)But I with the voice of thanksgiving
will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
(O)Salvation belongs to the Lord!”
10 And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
Footnotes
- Jonah 1:17 Ch 2:1 in Hebrew
- Jonah 1:17 Or had appointed
Cross references
- Jonah 1:17 : Matt. 12:40; 16:4; [Luke 11:30]
- Jonah 2:2 : Ps. 3:4; 120:1; Lam. 3:55
- Jonah 2:2 : Ps. 118:5
- Jonah 2:2 : Lam. 3:56
- Jonah 2:3 : Ps. 88:6, 7
- Jonah 2:3 : Ps. 42:7
- Jonah 2:4 : Ps. 31:22
- Jonah 2:4 : [1 Kgs. 8:35, 38]
- Jonah 2:5 : [Lam. 3:54]
- Jonah 2:5 : Ps. 69:1
- Jonah 2:7 : [2 Chr. 30:27]
- Jonah 2:8 : Ps. 31:6; [2 Kgs. 17:15; Jer. 2:5]
- Jonah 2:8 : [Jer. 2:13]
- Jonah 2:9 : Ps. 50:14; [Hos. 14:2; Heb. 13:15]
- Jonah 2:9 : Ps. 3:8
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
When Jonah ran away from God, God sent a huge fish in the sea to swallow him up. He was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. He was now as good as dead. With a broken heart, he prayed to God. He repented of his sin and finally praised God, proclaiming, “Salvation comes from the Lord.”
When we are disobedient, God gives us hardship to turn our hearts back to him. In those times, all we can do is kneel and repent before God. After three days in the fish’s belly, Jonah came to realize that only God could save him; no one else could save him, neither idols nor human willpower. He only could say, “Salvation comes from the Lord.”
In our hardship, we sometimes argue with God, “Why are you giving me this trouble?” But through hardship, God purifies our heart that we may repent and meet God newly as Jonah did. With a renewed heart and deeper understanding of God, we can serve the purpose that God has for us. Now Jonah was ready to serve his mission, to preach the message of repentance to the city of Nineveh.
Prayer: Lord, please help us to repent and meet you newly through our hardship.
One Word: Salvation comes from the Lord!
