Jonah 4:1-9 ▼

1 This displeased Jonah terribly and he became very angry.

2 He prayed to the LORD and said, |Oh, LORD, this is just what I thought would happen when I was in my own country. This is what I tried to prevent by attempting to escape to Tarshish!--because I knew that you are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in mercy, and one who relents concerning threatened judgment.

3 So now, LORD, kill me instead, because I would rather die than live!|

4 The LORD said, |Are you really so very angry?|

5 Jonah left the city and sat down east of it. He made a shelter for himself there and sat down under it in the shade to see what would happen to the city.

6 The LORD God appointed a little plant and caused it to grow up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to rescue him from his misery. Now Jonah was very delighted about the little plant.

7 So God sent a worm at dawn the next day, and it attacked the little plant so that it dried up.

8 When the sun began to shine, God sent a hot east wind. So the sun beat down on Jonah's head, and he grew faint. So he despaired of life, and said, |I would rather die than live!|

9 God said to Jonah, |Are you really so very angry about the little plant?| And he said, |I am as angry as I could possibly be!|