Jonah 4
1 But Jonah was very distressed [that God had not destroyed Nineveh]. He became very angry. [The people of Nineveh were non-Jews, and Jonah did not think that God should act mercifully toward anyone who was not a Jew].
Jonas en éprouva un vif chagrin, et il fut irrité.
2 He prayed to Yahweh, “O Yahweh, what you have done is what I thought that you would do, before I left home [RHQ]. That is why I [decided] immediately to run away, and go to Tarshish [city], because I knew that you, O God, act very kindly and compassionately [toward all people]. You do not quickly become angry with people who do evil things. You love people very much, and you change your mind about punishing [people who sin].
Il fit une prière à Yahweh et dit: « Ah! Yahweh, n’est-ce pas là ce que je disais lorsque j’étais encore dans mon pays? C’est pourquoi je me suis d’abord enfui à Tharsis; car je savais que vous êtes un Dieu miséricordieux et clément, lent à la colère, riche en grâce et vous repentant du mal.
3 [So] now, O Yahweh, [since you will not destroy Nineveh city as you said you would], allow me to die, because it would be better for me to die than to [continue to] live.”
Maintenant, Yahweh, retirez donc de moi mon âme, car la mort vaut mieux pour moi que la vie. »
4 Yahweh replied, “(Why is it right for you to be angry [about my not destroying the city]?/It is not right for you to be angry [about my not destroying the city]!) [RHQ]”
Et Yahweh répondit: « Fais-tu bien de t’irriter? »
5 Jonah [did not reply]. He went out of the city to the east [side of it]. He made a small shelter in order that he could sit under it and be protected from the sun. He sat under the shelter and waited to see what would happen to the city.
Et Jonas sortit de la ville et s’assit à l’orient de la ville; [là] il se fit une hutte et s’assit dessous à l’ombre, jusqu’à ce qu’il vît ce qui arriverait dans la ville.
6 Then Yahweh God caused a vine to grow up [immediately] to shade Jonah’s head from the sun and make him [feel] more comfortable. Jonah was very happy about [having] the vine [over his head].
Et Yahweh-Dieu fit pousser un ricin qui s’éleva au-dessus de Jonas pour qu’il y eût de l’ombre sur sa tête, afin de le délivrer de son mal; et Jonas éprouva une grande joie à cause du ricin.
7 But before dawn the next day, God sent a worm that chewed the vine, with the result that the vine withered.
Mais Yahweh fit venir, au lever de l’aurore, le lendemain, un ver qui piqua le ricin; et il sécha.
8 Then, when the sun rose [high in the sky], God sent a very hot wind from the east, and the sun shone very strongly on Jonah’s head, with the result that he felt faint. He wanted to die, and he said, “It would be better for me to die than to [continue to] live!”
Et quand le soleil se leva, Yahweh fit venir un vent brûlant d’orient; et le soleil donna sur la tête de Jonas, au point qu’il défaillit. Il demanda de mourir et dit: « La mort vaut mieux pour moi que la vie. »
9 But God asked Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about [what happened to] the vine?” Jonah replied, “[Yes], it is right! [Now] I am very angry and I want to die!”
Alors Dieu dit à Jonas: « Fais-tu bien de t’irriter à cause du ricin? » Il répondit: « Je fais bien de m’irriter jusqu’à la mort. »
10 But Yahweh said [to him], “You have been concerned about my [causing] that vine [to wither], even though you did not take care of it, and you did not make it grow. It just grew up during one night, and it completely withered [at the end of] the next night.
Et Yahweh dit: « Tu t’affliges au sujet du ricin pour lequel tu n’as pas travaillé et [que] tu n’as pas fait croître, qui est venu en une nuit et qui a péri en une nuit;
11 But there are more than 120,000 people in Nineveh who [are very young, and because of that], they cannot tell which is their right hand and which is their left hand, and there are also many cattle, [and none of these have done anything to displease me]. So (is it not right for me to be concerned about the people of that huge city, [and not want to destroy them]?/it is certainly right for me to be concerned about the people of that huge city [and not want to destroy them]!) [RHQ]”
et moi, je ne m’affligerais pas au sujet de Ninive, la grande ville, dans laquelle il y a plus de cent vingt mille hommes qui ne distinguent pas leur droite de leur gauche, et des animaux en grand nombre! »
