1 B ut it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.

But Jonah was not pleased at all, and he became angry.

2 S o 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.

He prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is this not what I said You would do while still in my own country? That is why I ran away to Tarshish. For I knew that You are a kind and loving God Who shows pity. I knew that You are slow to anger and are filled with loving-kindness, always ready to change Your mind and not punish.

3 T herefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”

So now, O Lord, take my life from me. For death is better to me than life.”

4 T hen the Lord said, “ Is it right for you to be angry?”

And the Lord said, “Have you any reason to be angry?”

5 S o 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.

Then Jonah left the city and sat to the east of the city. There he made a tent for himself, and sat in its shadow until he could see what would happen in the city.

6 A nd 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.

Then the Lord God made a plant grow up over Jonah to cover him from the hot sun and to stop his suffering. Jonah was very happy about the plant.

7 B ut as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered.

But at the beginning of the next day, God sent a worm to destroy the plant and it dried up.

8 A nd it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “ It is better for me to die than to live.”

When the sun came up, God sent a hot east wind. And the sun’s heat came upon Jonah’s head so that he became weak and begged with all his heart to die. He said, “Death is better to me than life.”

9 T hen 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!”

Then God said to Jonah, “Do you have a good reason to be angry about the plant?” And Jonah said, “I have a good reason to be angry, angry enough to die.”

10 B ut 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.

The Lord said, “You had loving-pity on the plant which you did not work for. You did not cause it to grow. It came up during the night and died during the night.

11 A nd 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 left—and much livestock?”

And should I not have loving-pity for Nineveh, the large city where more than 120, 000 people live who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?”