Jonah 4

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

約納因此很不高興，遂發起怒來。

2 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.

他懇求天主說：「上主，當我還在故鄉時，我豈不是已想到這事﹖所以我預先要逃往塔爾史士去，因為我知道你是慈悲的，寬仁的天主；是緩於發怒，富於慈愛，憐憫而不願降災禍的天主。

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

上主，現在，求你從我身上收去我的性命，因為，我死了比活著還好! 」

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

上主說：「你的憤怒合理嗎﹖」

5 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.

約納出了城，坐在城東，在那裏為自己搭了一個棚坐在棚蔭下，要看看那城究竟要發生什麼事。

6 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.

上主天主安排了一株篦麻，使長得高過約納，為他的頭遮蔭，消除自己尸煩惱。約納很喜愛這株篦麻。

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

但第二天曙升起時，天主安排了一個蟲咬死了篦麻，篦麻便枯萎了

8 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.

當太陽升起時，天主又安排了灸熱的東風，太陽射在約納頭上，使他無法忍受，遂要求死去，說：「我死了比活著還好! 」

9 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!”

天主血約納說：「你為這株篦麻發怒合理嗎﹖」他回答說：「我發怒以致於死，是合理的! 」

10 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.

上主說：「你為這株篦麻，並沒有勞過力，也沒有使它生長，還憐惜它：它不過是一夜生，出一夜死去的植物；

11 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?”

對尼尼微這座大城，其中有十二萬不能分辨自己左右手的人，且有許多牲畜，我就不該憐他們麼﹖」