1But to Jonah this seemed unjust, and he was very angry. 2And he prayed to the LORD, and said, “O LORD: was this not what I said when I was still in my native country? That is why I fled to Tarshish; because I knew that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, and of great compassion, and that You would relent from doing the harm You threatened. 3Now, O LORD, I beg You, take my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4Then the LORD said, “Do you have reason to be angry?”

5So Jonah went east out of the city, and sat there outside of the city, where he made himself a booth, and sat under its shadow, and waited to see what would become of the city. 6And then the LORD God prepared a gourd, and caused it to grow up over Jonah, that it might shade his head, to ease his grief. And Jonah was exceedingly grateful for the shade from the gourd. 7But then, the next morning, God prepared a worm that chewed through the stem of the gourd, causing it to wither. 8And at sunup, God arranged for a strong east wind; and the sun beat down upon Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished to die, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live like this.”

9And God said to Jonah, “Are you justified to be angry because the gourd died?” And Jonah said, “Yes! I am so angry, I wish I were dead!” 10But the LORD said, “You have had pity and concern for the gourd, which came up in one night, and then perished the next night; even though you have not invested anything toward making it grow. 11And should I not have pity and concern for and spare Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than one hundred-twenty thousand persons that cannot discern right from wrong, living in spiritual darkness; and very many animals (livestock) as well?”