Jonah 4:3
New International Version
Now, LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

New Living Translation
Just kill me now, LORD! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”

English Standard Version
Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

Berean Standard Bible
And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

King James Bible
Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

New King James Version
Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”

New American Standard Bible
So now, LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.”

NASB 1995
“Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.”

NASB 1977
“Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.”

Legacy Standard Bible
So now, O Yahweh, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.”

Amplified Bible
Therefore now, O LORD, just take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

Christian Standard Bible
And now, LORD, take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
And now, LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

American Standard Version
Therefore now, O Jehovah, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Therefore, my Lord, take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And now, Lord God, take my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

Contemporary English Version
Now let me die! I'd be better off dead.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And now, O Lord, I beseech thee take my life from me: for it is better for me to die than to live.

English Revised Version
Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So now, LORD, take my life. I'd rather be dead than alive."

Good News Translation
Now then, LORD, let me die. I am better off dead than alive."

International Standard Version
Therefore, LORD, please kill me, because it's better for me to die than to live!"

JPS Tanakh 1917
Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech Thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.'

Literal Standard Version
And now, O YHWH, please take my soul from me, for better [is] my death than my life.”

Majority Standard Bible
And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

New American Bible
So now, LORD, please take my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.”

NET Bible
So now, LORD, kill me instead, because I would rather die than live!"

New Revised Standard Version
And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

New Heart English Bible
Therefore now, LORD, take, I beg you, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live."

Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

World English Bible
Therefore now, Yahweh, take, I beg you, my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

Young's Literal Translation
And now, O Jehovah, take, I pray Thee, my soul from me, for better is my death than my life.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jonah's Anger at the LORD's Compassion
2So he prayed to the LORD, saying, “O LORD, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I was so quick to flee toward Tarshish. I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion—One who relents from sending disaster. 3And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4But the LORD replied, “Have you any right to be angry?”…

Cross References
1 Kings 19:4
while he himself traveled on a day's journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers."

Job 6:8
If only my request were granted and God would fulfill my hope:

Job 6:9
that God would be willing to crush me, to unleash His hand and cut me off!

Job 7:15
so that I would prefer strangling and death over my life in this body.

Job 7:16
I loathe my life! I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.

Ecclesiastes 7:1
A good name is better than fine perfume, and one's day of death is better than his day of birth.

Jeremiah 8:3
And wherever I have banished them, the remnant of this evil family will choose death over life," declares the LORD of Hosts.


Treasury of Scripture

Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech you, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

take.

Numbers 11:15
And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

Numbers 20:3
And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!

1 Kings 19:4
But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

for.

Jonah 4:8
And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.

Job 7:15,16
So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life…

Ecclesiastes 7:1
A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

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Jonah 4
1. Jonah repining at God's mercy,
4. is reproved by the type of a withering vine.














(3) Take, I beseech thee.--We naturally refer to the history of Elijah for a similar weariness and disgust of life. (Comp. also the case of Moses, Numbers 11:15). It should be noticed, as a contrast of Hebrew with heathen feeling, that none of these men in their loathing of life contemplated the possibility of suicide.

Verse 3. - Take... my life from me (comp. ver. 8). Jonah throughout represents himself as petty, hasty, and self-willed, prone to exaggerate matters, and easily reduced to despair. Here, because his word is not fulfilled, he wishes to die, though he will not take his own life. In a different spirit Moses (Exodus 32:32) is ready to die for his people's sake, and Elijah asked for death because his zeal for God had apparently wrought no effect (1 Kings 19:4).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And now,
וְעַתָּ֣ה (wə·‘at·tāh)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 6258: At this time

O LORD,
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

please
נָ֥א (nā)
Interjection
Strong's 4994: I pray', 'now', 'then'

take
קַח־ (qaḥ-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

my life
נַפְשִׁ֖י (nap̄·šî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

from me,
מִמֶּ֑נִּי (mim·men·nî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

for
כִּ֛י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

it is better
ט֥וֹב (ṭō·wḇ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

for me to die
מוֹתִ֖י (mō·w·ṯî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 4194: Death, the dead, their place, state, pestilence, ruin

than to live.”
מֵחַיָּֽי׃ (mê·ḥay·yāy)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life


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OT Prophets: Jonah 4:3 Therefore now Yahweh take I beg you (Jon. Jh)
Jonah 4:2
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