Jonah 4

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 This made Jonah very indignant; he fell into a rage.	1 But this was greatly displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry.
2 He prayed to Yahweh and said, 'Please, Yahweh, isn't this what I said would happen when I was stil inmy own country? That was why I first tried to flee to Tarshish, since I knew you were a tender, compassionateGod, slow to anger, rich in faithful love, who relents about inflicting disaster.	2 "I beseech you, LORD," he prayed, "is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I fled at first to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, rich in clemency, loathe to punish.
3 So now, Yahweh, please take my life, for I might as wel be dead as go on living.'	3 And now, LORD, please take my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live."
4 Yahweh replied, 'Are you right to be angry?'	4 But the LORD asked, "Have you reason to be angry?"
5 Jonah then left the city and sat down to the east of the city. There he made himself a shelter and satunder it in the shade, to see what would happen to the city.	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 Yahweh God then ordained that a castor-oil plant should grow up over Jonah to give shade for his headand soothe his ill-humour; Jonah was delighted with the castor-oil plant.	6 And when the LORD God provided a gourd plant, that grew up over Jonah's head, giving shade that relieved him of any discomfort, Jonah was very happy over the plant.
7 But at dawn the next day, God ordained that a worm should attack the castor-oil plant -- and it withered.	7 But the next morning at dawn God sent a worm which attacked the plant, so that it withered.
8 Next, when the sun rose, God ordained that there should be a scorching east wind; the sun beat downso hard on Jonah's head that he was overcome and begged for death, saying, 'I might as wel be dead as go onliving.'	8 And when the sun arose, God sent a burning east wind; and the sun beat upon Jonah's head till he became faint. Then he asked for death, saying, "I would be better off dead than alive."
9 God said to Jonah, 'Are you right to be angry about the castor-oil plant?' He replied, 'I have every rightto be angry, mortally angry!'	9 But God said to Jonah, "Have you reason to be angry over the plant?" "I have reason to be angry," Jonah answered, "angry enough to die."
10 Yahweh replied, 'You are concerned for the castor-oil plant which has not cost you any effort andwhich you did not grow, which came up in a night and has perished in a night.	10 Then the LORD said, "You are concerned over the plant which cost you no labor and which you did not raise; it came up in one night and in one night it perished.
11 So why should I not be concerned for Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than a hundredand twenty thousand people who cannot tel their right hand from their left, to say nothing of al the animals?'	11 And should I not be concerned over Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot distinguish their right hand from their left, not to mention the many cattle?"