Jonah’s Anger at the LORD’s Compassion

1But Jonas was very deeply grieved, and he was confounded. 2And he prayed to the Lord, and said, O Lord, were not these my words when I was yet in my land? therefore I made haste to flee to Tharsis; because I knew that thou are merciful and compassionate, long-suffering, and abundant in kindness, and repentest of evil. 3And now, Lord God, take my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. 4And the Lord said to Jonas, Art thou very much grieved?

5And Jonas went out from the city, and sat over against the city; and he made for himself there a booth, and he sat under it, until he should perceive what would become of the city. 6And the Lord God commanded a gourd, and it came up over the head of Jonas, to be a shadow over his head, to shade him from his calamities: and Jonas rejoiced with great joy for the gourd. 7And God commanded a worm the next morning, and it smote the gourd, and it withered away. 8And it came to pass at the rising of the sun, that God commanded a burning east wind; and the sun smote on the head of Jonas, and he fainted, and despaired of his life, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.

9And God said to Jonas, Art thou very much grieved for the gourd? And he said, I am very much grieved, even to death. 10And the Lord said, Thou hadst pity on the gourd, for which thou has not suffered, neither didst thou rear it; which came up before night, and perished before another night: 11and shall not I spare Nineve, the great city, in which dwell more than twelve myriads of human beings, who do not know their right hand or their left hand; and also much cattle?