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

And it is grievous unto Jonah -- a great evil -- and he is displeased at it;

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.

and he prayeth unto Jehovah, and he saith, `I pray Thee, O Jehovah, is not this my word while I was in mine own land -- therefore I was beforehand to flee to Tarshish -- that I have known that Thou a God, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in kindness, and repenting of evil?

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

And now, O Jehovah, take, I pray Thee, my soul from me, for better my death than my life.'

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

And Jehovah saith, `Is doing good displeasing to thee?'

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.

And Jonah goeth forth from the city, and sitteth on the east of the city, and maketh to himself there a booth, and sitteth under it in the shade, till that he seeth what is 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.

And Jehovah God appointeth a gourd, and causeth it to come up over Jonah, to be a shade over his head, to give deliverance to him from his affliction, and Jonah rejoiceth because of the gourd great joy.

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

And God appointeth a worm at the going up of the dawn on the morrow, and it smiteth the gourd, and it drieth 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.”

And it cometh to pass, about the rising of the sun, that God appointeth a cutting east wind, and the sun smiteth on the head of Jonah, and he wrappeth himself up, and asketh his soul to die, and saith, `Better my death than my 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!”

And God saith unto Jonah: `Is doing good displeasing to thee, because of the gourd?' and he saith, `To do good is displeasing to me -- unto death.'

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.

And Jehovah saith, `Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for which thou didst not labour, neither didst thou nourish it, which a son of a night was, and a son of a night perished,

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 I -- have not I pity on Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than twelve myriads of human beings, who have not known between their right hand and their left -- and much cattle!'