Jonah 4

Jonahs Anger and Gods Kindness

1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.2 So he prayed to the Lord, and said, Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!4 Then the Lord said, Is it right for you to be angry?5 So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city.6 And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant.7 But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered.8 And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonahs head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.9 Then God said to Jonah, Is it right for you to be angry about the plant? And he said, It is right for me to be angry, even to death!10 But the Lord said, You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night.11 And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their leftand much livestock?

Jonah 4

Jonah Responds to God’s Kindness

1 This displeased Jonah terriblyt and he became very angry.t2 He prayed to the Lord and said, “Oh, Lord, this is just what I thoughtt would happent when I was in my own country.t This is what I tried to preventt by attempting to escape to Tarshish!ts – because I knewt that you are gracious and compassionate, slow to angert and aboundingt in mercy, and one who relents concerning threatened judgment.ts3 So now, Lord, kill me instead,t because I would rather die than live!”t

4 The Lord said, “Are you really so veryts angry?”t
5 Jonah left the city and sat down eastt of it.t He made a shelter for himself there and sat down under it in the shade to see what would happen to the city.s

6 The Lord God appointedt a little plantt and caused it to grow up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to rescues him from his misery.t Now Jonah was very delightedt about the little plant.
7 So God sentt a worm at dawn the next day, and it attacked the little plant so that it dried up.8 When the sun began to shine, God sentt a hotst east wind. So the sun beat downt on Jonah’s head, and he grew faint. So he despaired of life,t and said, “I would rather die than live!”ts9 God said to Jonah, “Are you really so very angryt about the little plant?” And he said, “I am as angryt as I could possibly be!”t10 The Lord said, “You were upsett about this littlet plant, something for which you have not worked nor did you do anything to make it grow. It grew up overnight and died the next day.t

11 Should It not be even moret concernedt about Nineveh, this enormous city?t There are more than one hundred twenty thousand people in it who do not know right from wrong,t as well as many animals!”t