Jonah, 4

1. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.

1. But Jonah was greatly displeased at this, and he was indignant.

2. And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, [was] not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou [art] a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.

2. He prayed to Yahweh and said, "O Yahweh, is this not what I said when I was yet in my own country? This is why I fled to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and full of love, and you relent from imposing terrible punishment.

3. Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for [it is] better for me to die than to live.

3. I beseech you now, Yahweh, to take my life, for now it is better for me to die than to live."

4. Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?

4. But Yahweh replied, "What right have you to be angry?"

5. So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.

5. Jonah then left the city. He went to a place east of it, built himself a shelter and sat under its shade to wait and see what would happen to Nineveh.

6. And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made [it] to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.

6. Then Yahweh God provided a castor-oil plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade over his head and to ease his discomfort. Jonah was very happy about the plant.

7. But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.

7. But the next day, at dawn, God sent a worm which attacked the plant and made it wither.

8. And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, [It is] better for me to die than to live.

8. When the sun rose, God sent a scorching east wind; the sun blazed down upon Jonah's head, and he grew faint. His death wish returned and he said, "It is better for me to die than to live."

9. And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, [even] unto death.

9. Then God asked Jonah, "Do you have a right to be angry about the castor-oil plant?" Jonah answered, "I am right to be angry enough to wish to die."

10. Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:

10. Yahweh said, "You are concerned about a plant which cost you no labor to make it grow. Overnight it sprang up, and overnight it perished.

11. And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and [also] much cattle?

11. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot distinguish right from left and they have many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned for such a great city?"