Jonas Propheta 4

1 et adflictus est Iona adflictione magna et iratus est

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].

2 et oravit ad Dominum et dixit obsecro Domine numquid non hoc est verbum meum cum adhuc essem in terra mea propter hoc praeoccupavi ut fugerem in Tharsis scio enim quia tu Deus clemens et misericors es patiens et multae miserationis et ignoscens super malitia

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].

3 et nunc Domine tolle quaeso animam meam a me quia melior est mihi mors quam vita

[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.”

4 et dixit Dominus putasne bene irasceris tu

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]”

5 et egressus est Iona de civitate et sedit contra orientem civitatis et fecit sibimet ibi umbraculum et sedebat subter eum in umbra donec videret quid accideret civitati

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.

6 et praeparavit Dominus Deus hederam et ascendit super caput Ionae ut esset umbra super caput eius et protegeret eum laboraverat enim et laetatus est Iona super hedera laetitia magna

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].

7 et paravit Deus vermem ascensu diluculo in crastinum et percussit hederam et exaruit

But before dawn the next day, God sent a worm that chewed the vine, with the result that the vine withered.

8 et cum ortus fuisset sol praecepit Dominus vento calido et urenti et percussit sol super caput Ionae et aestuabat et petivit animae suae ut moreretur et dixit melius est mihi mori quam vivere

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!”

9 et dixit Dominus ad Ionam putasne bene irasceris tu super hederam et dixit bene irascor ego usque ad mortem

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!”

10 et dixit Dominus tu doles super hederam in qua non laborasti neque fecisti ut cresceret quae sub una nocte nata est et una nocte periit

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.

11 et ego non parcam Nineve civitati magnae in qua sunt plus quam centum viginti milia hominum qui nesciunt quid sit inter dexteram et sinistram suam et iumenta multa

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]”