Jonah 2:2-9

2 He said,

‘When I was in trouble, I called out to the Lord,

and he answered my prayer.

Yes, I called out to you for help from the deep hole of death,

and you heard my prayer.

2:2The stomach of the great fish seemed as if it was Jonah's grave. He calls it the deep hole of death, the place where people go when they die.

3 You threw me into the deep water,

and I fell into the middle of the sea.

The deep water covered me.

You sent big waves to roll over me.

4 I said to myself,

“You have sent me far away from you.

Now I will never see your holy temple again.”

2:4Or: ‘But I know that I will see your holy temple again.’

5 The deep water of the sea covered me,

so that my life was in danger.

The plants in the sea were all around my head.

6 I went very deep in the water,

as far as the bottom of the mountains.

Deep in the earth, I was in a prison,

and its gates had shut for ever.

But, Lord, my God,

you brought me up from that deep hole.

7 When my life was nearly gone, I prayed to you, Lord.

In your holy temple, you heard my prayer for help.

8 Idols cannot help.

People who worship them have turned away from God's faithful love.

9 But as for me, I will sing to thank you.

I will offer a sacrifice to you.

I will do everything that I have promised to do.

The Lord is the one who saves people!’