Jonah’s Anger at the LORD’s Compassion

1And this displeased Ionas greatly, and he was angrye within him selfe. 2And he prayed vnto the Lorde, and saide: I pray thee O Lorde, was not this my saying when I was yet in my countrey? therfore I hasted to flee into Tharsis: For I knewe that thou art a gratious God, and mercifull, long suffering, and of great kindnesse, and repentest thee of euill. 3And nowe O Lorde, take I beseche thee my lyfe from me: for it is better for me to dye, then to lyue. 4Then saide the Lord, Doest thou wel to be angry?

5And Ionas went out of the citie, and sate him downe on the east side thereof, and there made him a boothe, and sate vnder it in the shadowe, till he might see what should be done in the citie. 6And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it spring vp ouer Ionas, that it might be a shadowe ouer his head, to deliuer him from his griefe: So Ionas was exceeding glad of the gourde. 7But God prepared a worme, when the morning rose the next day, which smote the gourde, that it withered. 8And when the sunne rose, God prepared a seruent east winde, and the sunne beat vpon the head of Ionas that he fainted: and wished vnto his soule, that he might dye, and saide, It is better for me to dye, then to lyue.

9And the Lord saide vnto Ionas: Doest thou well to be so angry within thy selfe for the gourde? And he saide: I do well to be angry euen vnto death. 10Then saide the Lorde, Thou hast had compassion on the gourde about the which thou bestowedst no labour, neither madest it growe: which came vp in a night, and perished in a night: 11And shall not I spare Niniue that great citie, in the which are more then sixscore thousand persons that knowe not their right hand and their left, and also much cattaile?