Jonas 4
1 But Jonas was very deeply grieved, and he was confounded.
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
2 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.
He prayed to the LORD, and said, “Please, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my own country? Therefore I hurried to flee to Tarshish, for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and you relent of doing harm.
3 And now, Lord God, take my life from me; for [it is] better for me to die than to live.
Therefore now, LORD, take, I beg you, my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
4 And the Lord said to Jonas, Are you very much grieved?
The LORD said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
5 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.
Then Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city, and there made himself a booth and sat under it in the shade, until he might see what would become of the city.
6 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.
The LORD God prepared a vine and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the vine.
7 And God commanded a worm the next morning, and it struck the gourd, and it withered away.
But God prepared a worm at dawn the next day, and it chewed on the vine so that it withered.
8 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.
When the sun arose, God prepared a sultry east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he was faint and requested for himself that he might die. He said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
9 And God said to Jonas, Are you very much grieved for the gourd? And he said, I am very much grieved, even to death.
God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the vine?” He said, “I am right to be angry, even to death.”
10 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:
The LORD said, “You have been concerned for the vine, for which you have not labored, neither made it grow; which came up in a night and perished in a night.
11 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?
Should not I be concerned for Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand, and also many animals?”
