Jonah 2
11 verses · Hebrew with nikud, English alongside
וַיְמַ֤ן יְהֹוָה֙ דָּ֣ג גָּד֔וֹל לִבְלֹ֖עַ אֶת־יוֹנָ֑ה וַיְהִ֤י יוֹנָה֙ בִּמְעֵ֣י הַדָּ֔ג שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה יָמִ֖ים וּשְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה לֵילֽוֹת׃
GOD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah; and Jonah remained in the fish’s belly three days and three nights.
וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֣ל יוֹנָ֔ה אֶל־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהָ֑יו מִמְּעֵ֖י הַדָּגָֽה׃
Jonah prayed to the ETERNAL his God from the belly of the fish.
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר קָ֠רָ֠אתִי מִצָּ֥רָה לִ֛י אֶל־יְהֹוָ֖ה וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑נִי מִבֶּ֧טֶן שְׁא֛וֹל שִׁוַּ֖עְתִּי שָׁמַ֥עְתָּ קוֹלִֽי׃
He said: In my trouble I called to GOD, Who answered me; From the belly of Sheol I cried out, And You heard my voice.
וַתַּשְׁלִיכֵ֤נִי מְצוּלָה֙ בִּלְבַ֣ב יַמִּ֔ים וְנָהָ֖ר יְסֹבְבֵ֑נִי כׇּל־מִשְׁבָּרֶ֥יךָ וְגַלֶּ֖יךָ עָלַ֥י עָבָֽרוּ׃
You cast me into the depths, Into the heart of the sea, The floods engulfed me; All Your breakers and billows Swept over me.
וַאֲנִ֣י אָמַ֔רְתִּי נִגְרַ֖שְׁתִּי מִנֶּ֣גֶד עֵינֶ֑יךָ אַ֚ךְ אוֹסִ֣יף לְהַבִּ֔יט אֶל־הֵיכַ֖ל קׇדְשֶֽׁךָ׃
I thought I was driven away Out of Your sight: Would I ever gaze again Upon Your holy temple?
אֲפָפ֤וּנִי מַ֙יִם֙ עַד־נֶ֔פֶשׁ תְּה֖וֹם יְסֹבְבֵ֑נִי ס֖וּף חָב֥וּשׁ לְרֹאשִֽׁי׃
The waters closed in over me, The deep engulfed me. Weeds twined around my head.
לְקִצְבֵ֤י הָרִים֙ יָרַ֔דְתִּי הָאָ֛רֶץ בְּרִחֶ֥יהָ בַעֲדִ֖י לְעוֹלָ֑ם וַתַּ֧עַל מִשַּׁ֛חַת חַיַּ֖י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽי׃
I sank to the base of the mountains; The bars of the earth closed upon me forever. Yet You brought my life up from the pit, My ETERNAL God!
בְּהִתְעַטֵּ֤ף עָלַי֙ נַפְשִׁ֔י אֶת־יְהֹוָ֖ה זָכָ֑רְתִּי וַתָּב֤וֹא אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ תְּפִלָּתִ֔י אֶל־הֵיכַ֖ל קׇדְשֶֽׁךָ׃
When my life was ebbing away, I called GOD to mind; And my prayer came before You, Into Your holy temple.
מְשַׁמְּרִ֖ים הַבְלֵי־שָׁ֑וְא חַסְדָּ֖ם יַעֲזֹֽבוּ׃
They who cling to empty folly Forsake their own welfare,
וַאֲנִ֗י בְּק֤וֹל תּוֹדָה֙ אֶזְבְּחָה־לָּ֔ךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָדַ֖רְתִּי אֲשַׁלֵּ֑מָה יְשׁוּעָ֖תָה לַיהֹוָֽה׃ {פ}
But I, with loud thanksgiving, Will sacrifice to You; What I have vowed I will perform. Deliverance is GOD’s!
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהֹוָ֖ה לַדָּ֑ג וַיָּקֵ֥א אֶת־יוֹנָ֖ה אֶל־הַיַּבָּשָֽׁה׃ {ס}
GOD commanded the fish, and it spewed Jonah out upon dry land.
Hebrew text and English translation from Sefaria, under their Creative Commons licence.
These are written by Yaacov, a native Jerusalemite who teaches Hebrew, Yiddish, Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic one-to-one.