Chapter 4 — The Old Testament Book of Jonah

Jonah’s Anger and God’s Reproof.

¹ But this greatly displeased Jonah, and he became angry.()

² He prayed to the LORD, “O LORD, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I fled at first toward Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, repenting of punishment.() ()

³ So now, LORD, please take my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.”()

⁴ But the LORD asked, “Are you right to be angry?”()

⁵ Jonah then left the city for a place to the east of it, where he built himself a hut and waited() under it in the shade, to see what would happen to the city.

⁶ Then the LORD God provided a gourd plant.() And when it grew up over Jonah’s head, giving shade that relieved him of any discomfort, Jonah was greatly delighted with the plant.

⁷ But the next morning at dawn God provided a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered.

⁸ And when the sun arose, God provided a scorching east wind; and the sun beat upon Jonah’s head till he became faint. Then he wished for death, saying, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

⁹ But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry over the gourd plant?” Jonah answered, “I have a right to be angry—angry enough to die.”

¹⁰ Then the LORD said, “You are concerned() over the gourd plant which cost you no effort and which you did not grow; it came up in one night and in one night it perished.

¹¹ And should I not be concerned over the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot know their right hand from their left, not to mention all the animals?”()