Then Jonah left the city and sat down east of [a]it. There he made a shelter for himself and (A)sat under it in the shade, until he could see what would happen in the city. So the Lord God designated a [b]plant, and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head, to [c]relieve him of his discomfort. And Jonah [d]was overjoyed about the plant. But God designated a worm when dawn came the next day, and it attacked the plant and it (B)withered. And when the sun came up God designated a scorching (C)east wind, and the (D)sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he became faint, and he begged with all his soul to die, saying, “(E)Death is better to me than life!”

But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a good reason to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “I have good reason to be angry, even to the point of death!” 10 Then the Lord said, “You had compassion on the plant, for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which [e]came up overnight and perished [f]overnight. 11 Should I not also (F)have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 people, who do not (G)know the difference between their right hand and their left, as well as many (H)animals?”

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Footnotes

  1. Jonah 4:5 Lit the city
  2. Jonah 4:6 Prob. a castor oil plant, and so throughout the ch
  3. Jonah 4:6 Lit save him from
  4. Jonah 4:6 Lit rejoiced with great joy
  5. Jonah 4:10 Lit was a son of a night
  6. Jonah 4:10 Lit a son of a night

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. And the Lord God prepared a [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 [b]was very grateful for the plant. But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. And 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, (A)It is better for me to die than to live.”

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 [c]came up in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should I not pity Nineveh, (B)that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons (C)who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?”

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Footnotes

  1. Jonah 4:6 Heb. kikayon, exact identity unknown
  2. Jonah 4:6 Lit. rejoiced with great joy
  3. Jonah 4:10 Lit. was a son of a night