Jonah 2:4-1964 bbe — And I said, I have been sent away from before your eyes; how may I ever again see your holy Temple? The waters were cir…

Jonah 2:4-1964 in the Bible in Basic English reads: “And I said, I have been sent away from before your eyes; how may I ever again see your holy Temple? The waters were circling round me, even to the neck; the deep was about me; the sea-grass was twisted round my head. I went down to the bases of the mountains; as for the earth, her walls were about me for ever: but you have taken up my life from the underworld, O Lord my God. When my soul in me was overcome, I kept the memory of the Lord: and my prayer came in to you, into your holy Temple. The worshippers of false gods have given up their only hope. But I will make an offering to you with the voice of praise; I will give effect to my oaths. Salvation is the Lord's. And at the Lord's order, the fish sent Jonah out of its mouth on to the dry land.”

Jonah 2:4-1964 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Jonah, chapter 2, verses 4–1964.

Jonah is traditionally attributed to Anonymous (traditionally Jonah son of Amittai). It was written c. 785–760 BC.

Jonah, sent to preach repentance to Israel's enemies in Nineveh, runs the opposite direction — and ends up in the belly of a great fish. The story confronts every smug heart with the question: do you want God's mercy only for yourself, or for them too?

Jonah explores themes including Mercy, Repentance, Nations, Reluctant Prophet, Sovereignty. These themes shape the meaning and context of Jonah 2:4-1964.

Jonah 2:4-1964 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.

Jonah 2:4-1964 reads (BBE): “And I said, I have been sent away from before your eyes; how may I ever again see your holy Temple? The waters were circling round me, even to the neck; the deep was about me; the sea-grass was twisted round my head. I went down to the bases of the mountains; as for the earth, her walls were about me for ever: but you have taken up my life from the underworld, O Lord my God. When my soul in me was overcome, I kept the memory of the Lord: and my prayer came in to you, into your holy Temple. The worshippers of false gods have given up their only hope. But I will make an offering to you with the voice of praise; I will give effect to my oaths. Salvation is the Lord's. And at the Lord's order, the fish sent Jonah out of its mouth on to the dry land.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.