Jonah's Prayer

By Angeline M Duran Santiago

Jonah’s Prayer inside the Fish

2 ^[a] From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.
² Jonah prayed:

    “I called to the Lord in my distress,
        and he answered me.
    From the depths of my watery grave I cried for help,
        and you heard my cry.
³     You threw me into the deep, into the depths of the sea,
        and water surrounded me.
            All the whitecaps on your waves have swept over me.

⁴     “Then I thought,
        ‘I have been banished from your sight.
            Will I ever see your holy temple again?’

⁵     “Water surrounded me, threatening my life.
        The deep sea covered me completely.
            Seaweed was wrapped around my head.
⁶     I sank to the foot of the mountains.
    I sank to the bottom,
        where bars held me forever.
            But you brought me back from the pit, O Lord, my God.

⁷     “As my life was slipping away, I remembered the Lord.
        My prayer came to you in your holy temple.
⁸     Those who hold on to worthless idols abandon their loyalty to you.
⁹         But I will sacrifice to you with songs of thanksgiving.
    I will keep my vow.
        Victory belongs to the Lord!”