| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1This displeased Jonah terribly and he became very angry. | 1This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. |
| 2He 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. | 2So he complained to the LORD about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, LORD? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. |
| 3So now, LORD, kill me instead, because I would rather die than live!" | 3Just kill me now, LORD! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.” |
| 4The LORD said, "Are you really so very angry?" | 4The LORD replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?” |
| 5Jonah 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. | 5Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city. |
| 6The 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. | 6And the LORD God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant. |
| 7So God sent a worm at dawn the next day, and it attacked the little plant so that it dried up. | 7But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away. |
| 8When 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!" | 8And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. “Death is certainly better than living like this!” he exclaimed. |
| 9God 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!" | 9Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?” “Yes,” Jonah retorted, “even angry enough to die!” |
| 10The LORD said, "You were upset about this little plant, something for which you have not worked nor did you do anything to make it grow. It grew up overnight and died the next day. | 10Then the LORD said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. |
| 11Should I not be even more concerned about Nineveh, this enormous city? There are more than one hundred twenty thousand people in it who do not know right from wrong, as well as many animals!" | 11But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?” |
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