Common English Bible CEB
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 But Jonah thought this was utterly wrong, and he became angry.
1
Jonah was very upset about this, and he became angry.
2 He prayed to the LORD, "Come on, LORD! Wasn't this precisely my point when I was back in my own land? This is why I fled to Tarshish earlier! I know that you are a merciful and compassionate God, very patient, full of faithful love, and willing not to destroy.
2
So he prayed to the LORD, "LORD, isn't this what I said would happen when I was still in my own country? That's why I tried to run to Tarshish in the first place. I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, patient, and always ready to forgive and to reconsider your threats of destruction.
3 At this point, LORD, you may as well take my life from me, because it would be better for me to die than to live."
3
So now, LORD, take my life. I'd rather be dead than alive."
4 The LORD responded, "Is your anger a good thing?"
4
The LORD asked, "What right do you have to be angry?"
5 But Jonah went out from the city and sat down east of the city. There he made himself a hut and sat under it, in the shade, to see what would happen to the city.
5
Jonah left the city and sat down east of it. He made himself a shelter there. He sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city.
6 Then the LORD God provided a shrub, and it grew up over Jonah, providing shade for his head and saving him from his misery. Jonah was very happy about the shrub.
6
The LORD God made a plant grow up beside Jonah to give him shade and make him more comfortable. Jonah was very happy with the plant.
7 But God provided a worm the next day at dawn, and it attacked the shrub so that it died.
7
At dawn the next day, God sent a worm to attack the plant so that it withered.
8 Then as the sun rose God provided a dry east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah's head so that he became faint. He begged that he might die, saying, "It's better for me to die than to live."
8
When the sun rose, God made a hot east wind blow. The sun beat down on Jonah's head so that he was about to faint. He wanted to die. So he said, "I'd rather be dead than alive."
9 God said to Jonah, "Is your anger about the shrub a good thing?" Jonah said, "Yes, my anger is good—even to the point of death!"
9
Then God asked Jonah, "What right do you have to be angry over this plant?" Jonah answered, "I have every right to be angry--so angry that I want to die."
10 But the LORD said, "You ‘pitied' the shrub, for which you didn't work and which you didn't raise; it grew in a night and perished in a night.
10
The LORD replied, "This plant grew up overnight and died overnight. You didn't plant it or make it grow. Yet, you feel sorry for this plant.
11 Yet for my part, can't I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than one hundred twenty thousand people who can't tell their right hand from their left, and also many animals?"
11
Shouldn't I feel sorry for this important city, Nineveh? It has more than 120,000 people in it as well as many animals. These people couldn't tell their right hand from their left."
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GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.