约拿书 4

1 这事约拿大大不悦，且甚发怒，

But this really upset Jonah, and he became very angry.

2 就祷告耶和华说：“耶和华啊，我在本国的时候岂不是这样说吗？我知道你是有恩典、有怜悯的 神，不轻易发怒，有丰盛的慈爱，并且后悔不降所说的灾，所以我急速逃往他施去。

He prayed to the Lord and told him, “Lord, wasn't this what I said when I was back home? That's why I ran away to Tarshish in the first place! For I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, very patient and full of kindhearted love, who relents from sending disaster.

3 耶和华啊，现在求你取我的命吧！因为我死了比活着还好。”

So just kill me now, Lord, because I'd prefer to die than to live!”

4 耶和华说：“你这样发怒合乎理吗？”

The Lord responded, “Do you have a good reason to be so angry?”

5 于是约拿出城，坐在城的东边，在那里为自己搭了一座棚，坐在棚的荫下，要看看那城究竟如何。

Jonah left the city and sat down to the east of it. There he made himself a shelter so he could sit in the shade and watch what would happen to the city.

6 耶和华 神安排一棵蓖麻，使其发生高过约拿，影儿遮盖他的头，救他脱离苦楚；约拿因这棵蓖麻大大喜乐。

The Lord God had a plant grow up and provide shade over Jonah's head to ease his discomfort. Jonah was very happy with the plant.

7 次日黎明， 神却安排一条虫子咬这蓖麻，以致枯槁。

The next day at dawn the Lord had a maggot attack the plant and it withered.

8 日头出来的时候， 神安排炎热的东风，日头曝晒约拿的头，使他发昏，他就为自己求死，说：“我死了比活着还好！”

Then as the sun came up the Lord arranged for a scorching east wind to blow, and the sun beat down on Jonah's head so that he became faint and wanted to die. “I'd rather die than live!” he said.

9 神对约拿说：“你因这棵蓖麻发怒合乎理吗？”他说：“我发怒以至于死，都合乎理！”

But the Lord asked Jonah, “Do you have a good reason to be so angry about the plant?” “Yes I do!” Jonah replied. “I'm angry enough to die!”

10 耶和华说：“这蓖麻不是你栽种的，也不是你培养的；一夜发生，一夜干死，你尚且爱惜；

Then the Lord told Jonah, “You're concerned about a plant which you did nothing about, and you didn't make it grow. It came up overnight and died overnight.

11 何况这尼尼微大城，其中不能分辨左手右手的有十二万多人，并有许多牲畜，我岂能不爱惜呢？”

Shouldn't I be concerned about the great city of Nineveh where one hundred and twenty thousand people live who don't know their right hand from their left, not to mention all the animals?”