
Read Jonah 2
Guided question at the bottom.
From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. 2 He said:
“In my distress I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.
3 You hurled me into the depths,
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
swept over me.
4 I said, ‘I have been banished
from your sight;
yet I will look again
toward your holy temple.’
5 The engulfing waters threatened me,
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, Lord my God,
brought my life up from the pit.
7 “When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered you, Lord,
and my prayer rose to you,
to your holy temple.
8 “Those who cling to worthless idols
turn away from God’s love for them.
9 But I, with shouts of grateful praise,
will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’ ”
10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
Questions
Read this chapter in full out loud. What emotions do you hear in Jonah’s prayer?
Where does Jonah repent & ask for forgiveness? What might this tell you about Jonah?
Compare verse 3 with 1:15. Who does Jonah recognize was behind him going overboard?
How does verse 8 fit with the rest of this prayer? What do you think this meant to Jonah? What does it mean to you?
What parts of this prayer confuse/resonate with you? Why?
How does God show mercy to Jonah in v 10?