Jonah 4 GNV
Summary: Jonah, far from rejoicing, is angry that God spared Nineveh, admitting this is exactly why he fled in the first place — he knew God to be "gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love" (v. 2) and did not want mercy extended to Israel's enemies. He sits outside the city sulking, and the LORD appoints a plant to shade him, which pleases Jonah greatly, but then sends a worm to kill the plant and a scorching wind and sun that make Jonah faint and wish for death. God uses Jonah's disproportionate grief over the plant to rebuke his lack of compassion for Nineveh's population of more than 120,000 people "who do not know their right hand from their left," and animals besides (v. 11).
1Therefore it displeased Ionah exceedingly, and he was angry.
2And he prayed vnto the Lord, and saide, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my countrey? therefore I preuented it to flee vnto Tarshish: for I knewe that thou art a gratious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindnes, and repentest thee of the euill.
3Therefore nowe O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me: for it is better for me to die then to liue.
4Then saide the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry?
5So Ionah went out of the citie and sate on the East side of the citie, 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 gourde, and made it to come vp ouer Ionah, that it might be a shadowe ouer his head and deliuer him from his griefe. So Ionah was exceeding glad of the gourde.
7But God prepared a worme when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd, that it withered.
8And when the sunne did arise, God prepared also a feruent East winde: and the sunne beat vpon the head of Ionah, that he fainted, and wished in his heart to die, and said, It is better for me to dye, then to liue.
9And God said vnto Ionah, Doest thou well to be angrie for the gourde? And he said, I doe well to be angrie vnto the death.
10Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pitie on the gourde for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it growe, which came vp in a night, and perished in a night,
11And shoulde not I spare Nineueh that great citie, wherein are sixe score thousande persons, that cannot discerne betweene their right hand, and their left hand, and also much cattell?
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