The canticle, or song of Jonah is a traditional text in daily prayer for Holy Saturday as we meditate on the death of Christ before his glorious resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Here are a number of versions of this song from our Canticles Compilation

Charts for these songs are available at Cardiphonia’s bandcamp site.

—

42 A Song of Jonah

Refrain:

AllMy prayer came to you in your holy temple,
and you brought up my life from the depths.

1I called to you, O God, out of my distress
and you answered me; •
out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
and you heard my voice.

2You cast me into the deep,
into the heart of the seas, •
and the flood surrounded me,
all your waves and billows passed over me.

3 Then I said, I am driven away from your sight; •
how shall I ever look again upon your holy temple?

4 The waters closed in over me,
the deep was round about me; •
weeds were wrapped around my head
at the roots of the mountains.

5 I went down to the land whose bars closed
upon me for ever, •
yet you brought up my life from the depths, O God.

6 As my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, O God, •
and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.

7 With the voice of thanksgiving, I will sacrifice to you; •
what I have vowed I will pay;
deliverance belongs to the Lord!

Jonah 2.2-7, 9