Jonah 4

1But this seemed very wrong to Jonah, and he became angry.

2He prayed to Yahweh, “Please, Yahweh, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I hurried to flee to Tarshish. For I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and one who relents from sending disaster.

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

4Yahweh said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

5Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would happen to the city.

6Then Yahweh God appointed a leafy plant, and it grew up over Jonah to give shade over his head and to relieve his discomfort. Jonah was extremely happy about the plant.

7But at dawn the next day God appointed a worm, and it attacked the plant so that it withered.

8When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He asked to die, saying, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

9But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” He said, “It is right for me to be angry, angry enough to die!”

10Then Yahweh said, “You cared about the plant, which you did not labor over and did not make grow. It came up in a night and perished in a night.

11Should I not care about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 people who do not know their right hand from their left, and many animals as well?”