Jonah Chapter 2 – Jonah's Prayer in the Deep
From inside the fish, Jonah turns his despair into a prayer of thanksgiving.
Continuing directly from the storm of Jonah 1, this chapter is entirely Jonah's prayer from "the fish's belly," describing being cast into the deep with weeds "wrapped about my head" and the earth's bars closing around him.
Then Ionah prayed vnto the Lord his God out of the fishes belly,
And said, I cryed in mine affliction vnto the Lord, and he heard me: out of the bellie of hell cryed I, and thou heardest my voyce.
For thou haddest cast me into the bottome in the middes of the sea, and the floods compassed me about: all thy surges, and all thy waues passed ouer me.
Then I saide, I am cast away out of thy sight: yet will I looke againe towarde thine holy Temple.
The waters compassed me about vnto the soule: the depth closed me rounde about, and the weedes were wrapt about mine head.
I went downe to the bottome of the moutaines: the earth with her barres was about me for euer, yet hast thou brought vp my life from the pit, O Lord my God.
When my soule fainted within me, I remembred the Lord: and my prayer came vnto thee, into thine holy Temple.
They that waite vpon lying vanities, forsake their owne mercie.
But I will sacrifice vnto thee with the voice of thankesgiuing, and will pay that that I haue vowed: saluation is of the Lord.
And the Lord spake vnto the fish, and it cast out Ionah vpon the dry lande.