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v1
And Jonah prayed to Yahweh his God from the belly of the fish
v2
and said, “I called from my distress ^[Literally “from distress for me”] to Yahweh, and he answered me; from the belly of Sheol ^[“Sheol” is a Hebrew term for the place where the dead reside (i.e. the Underworld)] I cried for help— you heard my voice.
v3
And you threw me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the sea currents surrounded me; all your breakers and your surging waves passed over me.
v4
And I said, ‘I am banished ^[Or “expelled,” or “driven away”] from your sight; how ^[Or “however, I will continue to look on your holy temple”] will I continue to look ^[Literally “will I do again to look,” meaning “will I continue to look”] on your holy temple?’ ^[Literally “on the temple of your holiness”]
v5
The waters encompassed me up to my neck; the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.
v6
I went down to the foundations of the mountains; the Underworld—its bars were around me forever. But you brought up my life from the pit, Yahweh my God.
v7
When my life was ebbing away from me, I remembered Yahweh, and my prayer came to you, to your holy temple. ^[Literally “to the temple of your holiness”]
v8
Those who worship vain idols forsake their loyal love. ^[This could mean (1) they forsake the loyal love they should show to God or (2) they forfeit forsake the loyal love that God would have shown to them]
v9
But I, with a voice of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you; I will fulfill what I have vowed. Deliverance ^[Or “salvation”] belongs to Yahweh!“
v10
And Yahweh spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out on the dry land.