Jonah 4
1 But this really upset Jonah, and he became very angry.
But Jonas was very deeply grieved, and he was confounded.
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.
And he prayed to the Lord, and said, O Lord, were not these my words when I was yet in my land? therefore I made haste to flee to Tharsis; because I knew that you are merciful and compassionate, longsuffering, and abundant in kindness, and repent of evil.
3 So just kill me now, Lord, because I'd prefer to die than to live!”
And now, Lord God, take my life from me; for [it is] better for me to die than to live.
4 The Lord responded, “Do you have a good reason to be so angry?”
And the Lord said to Jonas, Are you very much grieved?
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.
And Jonas went out from the city, and sat over against the city; and he made for himself there a booth, and he sat under it, until he should perceive what would become of the city.
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.
And the Lord God commanded a gourd, and it came up over the head of Jonas, to be a shadow over his head, to shade him from his calamities: and Jonas rejoiced with great joy for the gourd.
7 The next day at dawn the Lord had a maggot attack the plant and it withered.
And God commanded a worm the next morning, and it struck the gourd, and it withered away.
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.
And it came to pass at the rising of the sun, that God commanded a burning east wind; and the sun struck on the head of Jonas, and he fainted, and despaired of his life, and said, [It is] better for me to die than to live.
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!”
And God said to Jonas, Are you very much grieved for the gourd? And he said, I am very much grieved, even to death.
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.
And the Lord said, You had pity on the gourd, for which you has not suffered, neither did you rear it; which came up before night, and perished before [another] night:
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?”
and shall not I spare Nineve, the great city, in which dwell more than twelve myriads of human beings, who do not know their right hand or their left hand; and [also] much cattle?
