| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. | 1Jonah, however, was greatly displeased, and he became angry. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 3Just kill me now, LORD! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.” | 3And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” |
| 4The LORD replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?” | 4But the LORD replied, “Have you any right to be angry?” |
| 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. | 5Then Jonah left the city and sat down east of it, where he made himself a shelter and sat in its shade to see what would happen to the city. |
| 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. | 6So the LORD God appointed a vine, and it grew up to provide shade over Jonah’s head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was greatly pleased with the plant. |
| 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. | 7When dawn came the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant so that it withered. |
| 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. | 8As the sun was rising, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint and wished to die, saying, “It is better for me to die than to live.” |
| 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!” | 9Then God asked Jonah, “Have you any right to be angry about the plant?” “I do,” he replied. “I am angry enough to die!” |
| 10Then the LORD said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. | 10But the LORD said, “You cared about the plant, which you neither tended nor made grow. It sprang up in a night and perished in a night. |
| 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?” | 11So should I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well?” |
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