1 Now the Lord had commanded a great whale to swallow up Jonas: and Jonas was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights. 2 And Jonas prayed to the Lord his God out of the belly of the whale, 3 and said, I cried in my affliction to the Lord my God, and he hearkened to me, even to my cry out of the belly of hell: you heard my voice. 4 You did cast me into the depths of the heart of the sea, and the floods compassed me: all your billows and your waves have passed upon me. 5 And I said, I am cast out of your presence: shall I indeed look again toward your holy temple? 6 Water was poured around me to the soul: the * lowest deep compassed me, my head went down 7 to the clefts of the mountains; I went down into the earth, whose bars are the everlasting barriers: yet, O Lord my God, let my ruined life be restored. 8 When my soul was failing † me, I remembered the Lord; and may my prayer come to you into your holy temple. 9 They that observe ‡ vanities and lies have forsaken their own mercy. 10 But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of praise and thanksgiving: all that I have vowed I will pay to you, § the Lord of my salvation. 11 And the whale was commanded by the Lord, and it cast up Jonas on the dry land.