Jonah 4

1 And it was vexing unto Jonah, with a great vexation, —and it angered him.

約納因此很不高興，遂發起怒來。

2 So he prayed unto Yahweh, and said—Ah now! Yahweh! Was not, this, my word, while I was yet upon mine own soil? For this cause, did I hasten to flee unto Tarshish, —because I knew that, thou, art a GOD of favour and compassion, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and art grieved over calamity.

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 Now, therefore, O Yahweh, take, I pray thee, my life from me, —for it were better for me, 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 Then said Yahweh, Art thou rightly angry?

上主說：「你的憤怒合理嗎﹖」

5 But Jonah, went forth, out of the city, and abode on the east side of the city; and made for himself there, a hut, and sat under it, in the shade, until he should see what would become of 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 Now Yahweh God appointed a gourd, and caused it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to deliver him from his vexation, —and Jonah rejoiced over the gourd, with great rejoicing.

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 But God appointed a worm, at the uprisings of the dawn, the next day, —and it smote the gourd, that 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 And it came to pass, at the breaking forth of the sun, that God appointed a sultry east wind, and the sun smote upon the head of Jonah, that he became faint, —and asked his life, that he might die, and said, It were better for me, to die, than, to live.

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 Then said God unto Jonah, Art thou rightly angry over the gourd? And he said, I am rightly angry, unto death.

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 said Yahweh, Thou, wouldest have spared the gourd, for which thou hadst not toiled, neither hadst thou made it grow, —which, as the off-spring of a night, came up, and, as the offspring of a night, perished;

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 And was not, I, to spare Nineveh, the great city, —wherein are more than twelve times ten thousand human beings, who cannot discern between their right hand and their left, besides much cattle?

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﹖」