Jonah
Chapter 4
1 Jonah was very upset by this, and he became angry.
2 He prayed to God and said, “I knew this would happen, God. That’s why I ran away to Tarshish. I knew you are kind and merciful, not easily angered, full of love, and you change your mind about punishing.
3 So now, God, please take my life from me; it’s better for me to die than to live.
4 Then God asked, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
5 Jonah left the city, sat on its east side, built himself a shelter, and sat in its shade to see what would happen to the city.
6 God made a plant grow over Jonah to give him shade and help him feel better. Jonah was very happy about the plant.
7 God made a worm come up the next morning, and it attacked the plant so that it dried up.
8 When the sun rose, God sent a strong east wind; the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so much that he became weak, wished to die, and thought, “It’s better for me to die than to live.”
9 God asked Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” And he answered, “Yes, I am right to be angry enough to die.”
10 God said, “You feel sorry for the plant you didn’t work for or make grow. It appeared overnight and died overnight.”
11 Shouldn’t I have mercy on Nineveh, that large city, with more than 120,000 people who do not know right from left, and many animals too?