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TORAH
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Jonah - Chapter 2

Translation and Transliteration of 

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1Hashem provided a huge fish to swallow Yona; and Yona remained in the fish's belly three days and three nights.

vai-Y'-man a-do-NAI dag ga-DOL liv-LO-a et yo-NAH, vai-HEE yo-NAH b'-me-EI ha-DAG, sh'-LO-sha ya-MEEM u-sh'-LO-sha LEI-lot

אוַיְמַ֤ן יְהֹוָה֙ דָּ֣ג גָּד֔וֹל לִבְלֹ֖עַ אֶת־יוֹנָ֑ה וַיְהִ֤י יוֹנָה֙ בִּמְעֵ֣י הַדָּ֔ג שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה יָמִ֖ים וּשְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה לֵילֽוֹת׃

2Yona prayed to Hashem his God from the belly of the fish.

vai-yit-pa-LEL yo-NAH el a-do-NAI e-lo-HAV mi-m'-AY ha-da-GAH

בוַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֣ל יוֹנָ֔ה אֶל־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהָ֑יו מִמְּעֵ֖י הַדָּגָֽה׃

3He said: In my trouble I called to Hashem, And He answered me; From the belly of Sheol I cried out, And You heard my voice.

vai-YO-mer ka-RA-ti mi-tza-RAH li el a-do-NAI va-ya-a-NE-ni mi-BE-ten sh'-OL shi-va-TI sha-MA-ta KO-li

גוַיֹּ֗אמֶר קָ֠רָ֠אתִי מִצָּ֥רָה לִ֛י אֶל־יְהֹוָ֖ה וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑נִי מִבֶּ֧טֶן שְׁא֛וֹל שִׁוַּ֖עְתִּי שָׁמַ֥עְתָּ קוֹלִֽי׃

4You cast me into the depths, Into the heart of the sea, The floods engulfed me; Al Your breakers and billows Swept over me.

va-tash-li-KHE-ni m'-tzu-LAH bil-VAV ya-MEEM v'-na-HAR y'-so-ve-VE-ni kol-mish-BA-re-KHA v'-ga-LE-kha a-LAI a-va-ru

דוַתַּשְׁלִיכֵ֤נִי מְצוּלָה֙ בִּלְבַ֣ב יַמִּ֔ים וְנָהָ֖ר יְסֹבְבֵ֑נִי כׇּל־מִשְׁבָּרֶ֥יךָ וְגַלֶּ֖יךָ עָלַ֥י עָבָֽרוּ׃

5I thought I was driven away Out of Your sight: Would I ever gaze again Upon Your holy Temple?

va-a-NEE a-MAR-tee nig-RA-shee mi-NE-ged ay-NE-kha, AKH o-SEEF l'-ha-BEET el ha-HEE-khal kod-SHE-kha

הוַאֲנִ֣י אָמַ֔רְתִּי נִגְרַ֖שְׁתִּי מִנֶּ֣גֶד עֵינֶ֑יךָ אַ֚ךְ אוֹסִ֣יף לְהַבִּ֔יט אֶל־הֵיכַ֖ל קׇדְשֶֽׁךָ׃

6The waters closed in over me, The deep engulfed me. Weeds twined around my head.

a-FA-fu-NEEM ma-YIM ad-NE-fesh TE-hom ye-so-VE-ve-NEE SOOF cha-VUSH l'-ro-SHEE

ואֲפָפ֤וּנִי מַ֙יִם֙ עַד־נֶ֔פֶשׁ תְּה֖וֹם יְסֹבְבֵ֑נִי ס֖וּף חָב֥וּשׁ לְרֹאשִֽׁי׃

7I 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, Hashem my God!

l'-kitz-VAY ha-REEM ya-RAD-tee ha-A-retz b'-ri-KHE-ha va-a-DEE l'-o-LAM va-TA-al mi-sha-KHAT kha-YAI a-do-NAI e-lo-HAI

זלְקִצְבֵ֤י הָרִים֙ יָרַ֔דְתִּי הָאָ֛רֶץ בְּרִחֶ֥יהָ בַעֲדִ֖י לְעוֹלָ֑ם וַתַּ֧עַל מִשַּׁ֛חַת חַיַּ֖י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽי׃

8When my life was ebbing away, I called Hashem to mind; And my prayer came before You, Into Your holy Temple.

b'-hit-a-TAYF a-LAI naf-SHEE et a-do-NAI za-KHAR-tee va-ta-VO ay-LE-kha t'-fi-la-TEE el hay-KHAL kod-SHE-kha

חבְּהִתְעַטֵּ֤ף עָלַי֙ נַפְשִׁ֔י אֶת־יְהֹוָ֖ה זָכָ֑רְתִּי וַתָּב֤וֹא אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ תְּפִלָּתִ֔י אֶל־הֵיכַ֖ל קׇדְשֶֽׁךָ׃

2:8  And my prayer came before You, into Your holy Temple

Such is the heart of a true prophet. Trapped inside the belly of the large fish, with no hope of escape, Yona does not despair. Instead, he pours out his prayer to God. Though he has run away from Hashem and His mission, Yona hopes that he will not only survive, but once again become worthy to stand before God in his Holy Temple in Yerushalayim, to bring offerings and to pray (verse 10). This prayer anticipates the lesson that Hashem later imparts to Yona. Though man may stumble in sin, he can always pick himself up and recover, as it is written, “Seven times the righteous man falls and gets up, while the wicked are tripped by one misfortune” (Proverbs 24:16). Even after our biggest failures, God lovingly awaits our return, if only we have the will to do so.

9They who cling to empty folly Forsake their own welfare,

m'-sha-m'-REEM ha-v'-LEI sha-VEI khas-DAM ya-a-ZO-vu

טמְשַׁמְּרִ֖ים הַבְלֵי־שָׁ֑וְא חַסְדָּ֖ם יַעֲזֹֽבוּ׃

10But I, with loud thanksgiving, Will sacrifice to You; What I have vowed I will perform. Deliverance is Hashem's!

va-a-NEE b'-KOL to-DAH ez-b'-KHA-lakh, a-SHER na-DAR-tee a-sha-LE-mah, ye-shu-AH-tah la-a-do-NAI.

יוַאֲנִ֗י בְּק֤וֹל תּוֹדָה֙ אֶזְבְּחָה־לָּ֔ךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָדַ֖רְתִּי אֲשַׁלֵּ֑מָה יְשׁוּעָ֖תָה לַיהֹוָֽה׃

11Hashem commanded the fish, and it spewed Yona out upon dry land.

va-YO-mer a-do-NAI la-DAG, va-ya-KAY et yo-NAH el ha-ya-BA-sha. (Selah)

יאוַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהֹוָ֖ה לַדָּ֑ג וַיָּקֵ֥א אֶת־יוֹנָ֖ה אֶל־הַיַּבָּשָֽׁה׃