Jonah
4
- But Jonah was greatly displeased and became
angry.
- He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this
not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee
to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to
anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.
- Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is
better for me to die than to live."
- But the LORD replied, "Have you any
right to be angry ?"
- Jonah went out and sat down at a place east
of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited
to see what would happen to the city.
- Then the LORD God provided a vine and made
it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and
Jonah was very happy about the vine.
- But at dawn the next day God provided a worm,
which chewed the vine so that it withered.
- When the sun rose, God provided a scorching
east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint. He wanted
to die, and said, "It would be better for me to die than to live."
- But God said to Jonah, "Do you have
a right to be angry about the vine?" "I do," he said. "I
am angry enough to die."
- But the LORD said, "You have been concerned
about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up
overnight and died overnight.
- But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty
thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many
cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city ?"
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