Jonah 4
Complete Jewish Bible
4 But this was very displeasing to Yonah, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to Adonai, “Now, Adonai, didn’t I say this would happen, when I was still in my own country? That’s why I tried to get away to Tarshish ahead of time! I knew you were a God who is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in grace, and that you relent from inflicting punishment. 3 Therefore, Adonai, please, just take my life away from me; it’s better for me to be dead than alive!” 4 Adonai asked, “Is it right for you to be so angry?”
5 Yonah left the city and found a place east of the city, where he made himself a shelter and sat down under it, in its shade, to see what would happen to the city. 6 Adonai, God, prepared a castor-bean plant and made it grow up over Yonah to shade his head and relieve his discomfort. So Yonah was delighted with the castor-bean plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God prepared a worm, which attacked the castor-bean plant, so that it dried up. 8 Then, when the sun rose, God prepared a scorching east wind; and the sun beat down on Yonah’s head so hard that he grew faint and begged that he could die, saying, “I would be better off dead than alive.”
9 God asked Yonah, “Is it right for you to be so angry about the castor-bean plant?” He answered, “Yes, it’s right for me to be so angry that I could die!” 10 Adonai said, “You’re concerned over the castor-bean plant, which cost you no effort; you didn’t make it grow; it came up in a night and perished in a night. 11 So shouldn’t I be concerned about the great city of Ninveh, in which there are more than 120,000 people who don’t know their right hand from their left — not to mention all the animals?”
Jonah 4
King James Version
4 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.
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.
3 Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.
4 Then said the Lord, Doest thou well 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.
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.
7 But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
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.
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.
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:
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?
Jonah 4
English Standard Version
Jonah's Anger and the Lord's Compassion
4 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly,[a] and (A)he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? (B)That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a (C)gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and (D)relenting from disaster. 3 (E)Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, (F)for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 And the Lord said, (G)“Do you do well to be angry?”
5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and (H)made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. 6 Now the Lord God appointed a plant[b] and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort.[c] So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching (I)east wind, (J)and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he (K)was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, (L)“It is better for me to die than to live.” 9 But God said to Jonah, (M)“Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” 10 And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity (N)Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much (O)cattle?”
Jonás 4
Dios Habla Hoy
4 A Jonás le cayó muy mal lo que Dios había hecho, y se disgustó mucho. 2 Así que oró al Señor, y le dijo:
—Mira, Señor, esto es lo que yo decía que iba a pasar cuando aún me encontraba en mi tierra. Por eso quise huir de prisa a Tarsis, pues yo sé que tú eres un Dios tierno y compasivo, que no te enojas fácilmente, y que es tanto tu amor que anuncias un castigo y luego te arrepientes. 3 Por eso, Señor, te ruego que me quites la vida. Más me vale morir que seguir viviendo.
4 Pero el Señor le contestó:
—¿Te parece bien enojarte así?
5 Jonás salió de la ciudad y acampó al oriente de ella; allí hizo una enramada y se sentó a su sombra, esperando a ver lo que le iba a pasar a la ciudad. 6 Dios el Señor dispuso entonces que una mata de ricino creciera por encima de Jonás, y que su sombra le cubriera la cabeza para que se sintiera mejor. Jonás estaba muy contento con aquella mata de ricino. 7 Pero, al amanecer del día siguiente, Dios dispuso que un gusano picara el ricino, y éste se secó. 8 Cuando el sol salió, Dios dispuso que soplara un viento caliente del este, y como el sol le daba a Jonás directamente en la cabeza, él sintió que se desmayaba, y quería morirse.
—Más me vale morir que seguir viviendo —decía.
9 Pero Dios le contestó:
—¿Te parece bien enojarte así porque se haya secado la mata de ricino?
—¡Claro que me parece bien! —respondió Jonás—. ¡Estoy que me muero de rabia!
10 Entonces el Señor le dijo:
—Tú no sembraste la mata de ricino, ni la hiciste crecer; en una noche nació, y a la otra se murió. Sin embargo le tienes compasión. 11 Pues con mayor razón debo yo tener compasión de Nínive, esa gran ciudad donde hay más de ciento veinte mil niños inocentes y muchos animales.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
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