The LORD Shows Concern for Nineveh
1 But Jonah was very upset. He became angry.
2
He prayed to the LORD and said, "Lord, isn't this exactly what I thought would happen when I was still at home? That's why I was so quick to run away to Tarshish. I knew that you are gracious. You are tender and kind. You are slow to get angry. You are full of love. You are a God who takes pity on people. You don't want to destroy them.
3
Lord, take away my life. I'd rather die than live."
4
But the LORD replied, "Do you have any right to be angry?"
5
Jonah left the city. He sat down at a place east of it. There he put some branches over his head. He sat in their shade. He waited to see what would happen to the city.
6
Then the LORD God sent a vine and made it grow up over Jonah. It gave him more shade for his head. It made him more comfortable. Jonah was very happy he had the vine.
7
But before sunrise the next day, God sent a worm. It chewed the vine so much that it dried up.
8
When the sun rose, God sent a burning east wind. The sun beat down on Jonah's head. It made him very weak. He wanted to die. So he said, "I'd rather die than live."
9
But God said to Jonah, "Do you have any right to be angry about what happened to the vine?" "I do," he said. "In fact, I'm angry enough to die."