Jonah 4

New King James Version

Jonah’s Anger and God’s Kindness

4 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.² So he prayed to theLord, and said, “Ah,Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I^(A)fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that Youarea^(B)gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.^3 (C)Therefore now, OLord, please take my life from me, for^(D)it isbetter for me to die than to live!”

⁴ Then theLordsaid, “Is itright for you to be angry?”

⁵ 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.⁶ And theLordGod 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.⁷ But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and itsodamaged the plant that it withered.⁸ 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,^(E)“It isbetter for me to die than to live.”

⁹ Then God said to Jonah, “Is itright for you to be angry about the plant?”

And he said, “It isright for me to be angry, even to death!”

¹⁰ But theLordsaid, “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,^(F)that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons^(G)who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?”