Jonas in the Belly of the Whale
Jonah 2
The Lord appoints a great whale to swallow Jonas, who remains in its belly three days and three nights. From within the whale Jonas prays to the Lord, recounting his affliction and his casting into the deep, and vows to offer sacrifice and thanksgiving, after which the whale casts him out onto dry land at the Lord's command.
About these editions
The Septuagint (LXX) in Greek, with Charles Thomson’s 1808 and Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 English translations, set beside the King James Version and the Jewish Masoretic text (JPS 1917) where they align, so you can compare the Greek and the Hebrew. All public domain; choose which to show with the controls above.
Thomson 1808Septuagint
Brenton 1851Septuagint
Greek · BrentonSeptuagint
KJV 1769Masoretic
JPS 1917Masoretic
1
ThomsonNow the Lord had commanded a great whale to swallow Jonas, so Jonas was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale.
BrentonNow 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.
GreekΚαὶ προσέταξε Κύριος κήτει μεγάλῳ καταπιεῖν τὸν Ἰωνᾶν· καὶ ἦν Ἰωνᾶς ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ τοῦ κήτους τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας.
KJVNow the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
JPSAnd the LORD prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
2
ThomsonAND from out of the belly of the great whale, Jonas prayed to the Lord his God,
BrentonAnd Jonas prayed to the Lord his God out of the belly of the whale,
GreekΚαὶ προσηύξατο Ἰωνᾶς πρὸς Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας τοῦ κήτους,
KJVThen Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly,
JPSThen Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly.
3
Thomsonand said: In my affliction I cried to the Lord my God, and He hearkened to me. Thou didst hear my cry from the womb of Hades, Thou didst hearken to my prayer;
Brentonand 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: thou heardest my voice.
Greekκαὶ εἶπεν, Ἐβόησα ἐν θλίψει μου πρὸς Κύριον τὸν Θεόν μου, καὶ εἰσήκουσέ μου, ἐκ κοιλίας ᾅδου κραυγῆς μου, ἤκουσας φωνῆς μου, ἀπέῤῥιψάς με εἰς βάθη καρδίας θαλάσσης,
KJVAnd said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
JPSAnd he said: I called out of mine affliction Unto the LORD, and He answered me; Out of the belly of the nether-world cried I, And Thou heardest my voice.
4
ThomsonThou hast cast me into the depths of the heart of the sea. When streams encompassed me—all Thy billows and Thy waves passed over me.
BrentonThou didst cast me into the depths of the heart of the sea, and the floods compassed me: all thy billows and thy waves have passed upon me.
Greekκαὶ ποταμοί ἐκύκλωσάν με, πάντες οἱ μετεωρισμοί σου καὶ τὰ κύματά σου ἐπʼ ἐμὲ διῆλθον.
KJVFor thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
JPSFor Thou didst cast me into the depth, In the heart of the seas, And the flood was round about me; All Thy waves and Thy billows Passed over me.
5
ThomsonThen I said, I am cast out from Thy sight; nevertheless I will continue to look towards Thy holy temple.
BrentonAnd I said, I am cast out of thy presence: shall I indeed look again toward thy holy temple?
GreekΚαὶ ἐγὼ εἶπα, ἀπῶσμαι ἐξ ὀφθαλμῶν σου· ἆρα προσθήσω τοῦ ἐπιβλέψαι με πρὸς ναὸν τὸν ἅγιόν σου;
KJVThen I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
JPSAnd I said: ‘I am cast out From before Thine eyes’; Yet I will look again Toward Thy holy temple.
6
ThomsonThe water was poured around me to my soul, and the lowest abyss encompassed me; my head hath gone down into the clefts of mountains.
BrentonWater was poured around me to the soul: the lowest deep compassed me, my head went down
GreekΠεριεχύθη μοι ὕδωρ ἕως ψυχῆς, ἄβυσσος ἐκύκλωσέ με ἐσχάτη, ἔδυ ἡ κεφαλή μου εἰς σχισμὰς ὀρέων,
KJVThe waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
JPSThe waters compassed me about, even to the soul; The deep was round about me; The weeds were wrapped about my head.
7
ThomsonI have gone down to a land, the bars of which are everlastingly fixed.
Brentonto 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.
Greekκατέβην εἰς γῆν, ἧς οἱ μοχλοὶ αὐτῆς κάτοχοι αἰώνιοι· καὶ ἀναβήτω φθορὰ ζωῆς μου Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου.
KJVI went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.
JPSI went down to the bottoms of the mountains; The earth with her bars closed upon me for ever; Yet hast Thou brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God.
8
ThomsonLet my soul now, corrupted as it is, ascend, O Lord, my God. When my soul was fainting I remembered the Lord; let my prayer now come to Thee into Thy holy temple.
BrentonWhen my soul was failing me, I remembered the Lord; and may my prayer come to thee into thy holy temple.
GreekἘν τῷ ἐκλείπειν ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ τὴν ψυχήν μου, τοῦ Κυρίου ἐμνήσθην, καὶ ἔλθοι πρὸς σὲ ἡ προσευχή μου εἰς ναὸν τὸν ἅγιόν σου.
KJVWhen my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
JPSWhen my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD; And my prayer came in unto Thee, Into Thy holy temple.
9
ThomsonThey who worship vanities and lies have forsaken their mercy:
BrentonThey that observe vanities and lies have forsaken their own mercy.
GreekΦυλασσόμενοι μάταια καὶ ψευδῆ, ἔλεος αὐτῶν ἐγκατέλιπον.
KJVThey that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
JPSThey that regard lying vanities Forsake their own mercy.
10
Thomsonbut I will sacrifice to Thee with the voice of praise and thanksgiving. I will pay Thee what I have vowed to the Lord for my deliverance.
BrentonBut I will sacrifice to thee with the voice of praise and thanksgiving: all that I have vowed I will pay to thee, the Lord of my salvation.
GreekἘγὼ δὲ μετὰ φωνῆς αἰνέσεως καὶ ἐξομολογήσεως θύσω σοι, ὅσα ηὐξάμην ἀποδώσω σοι σωτηρίου τῷ Κυρίῳ.
KJVBut I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
JPSBut I will sacrifice unto Thee With the voice of thanksgiving; That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is of the LORD.
11
ThomsonUpon this a command was given by the Lord to the whale, and it cast forth Jonas upon the dry ground.
BrentonAnd the whale was commanded by the Lord, and it cast up Jonas on the dry land.
GreekΚαὶ προσετάγη ἀπὸ Κυρίου τῷ κήτει, καὶ ἐξέβαλε τὸν Ἰωνᾶν ἐπὶ τὴν ξηράν.
KJVAnd the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
JPSAnd the LORD spoke unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.