Jonah 4
Free Bible Version
Chapter overview
Jonah resents Nineveh's mercy because he knows God is gracious and compassionate. Waiting east of the city, he welcomes a shade plant, then despairs when a worm and scorching wind destroy it. God contrasts Jonah's concern for the plant with divine concern for Nineveh's people and animals.
AngerCompassionThe Shade PlantNineveh
1But this really upset Jonah, and he became very angry.
2He prayed to the Lord and told him, “Lord, wasn't this what I said when I was back home? That's why I ran away to Tarshish in the first place! For I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, very patient and full of kindhearted love, who relents from sending disaster.
3So just kill me now, Lord, because I'd prefer to die than to live!”
4The Lord responded, “Do you have a good reason to be so angry?”
5Jonah left the city and sat down to the east of it. There he made himself a shelter so he could sit in the shade and watch what would happen to the city.
6The Lord God had a plant grow up and provide shade over Jonah's head to ease his discomfort. Jonah was very happy with the plant.
7The next day at dawn the Lord had a maggot attack the plant and it withered.
8Then as the sun came up the Lord arranged for a scorching east wind to blow, and the sun beat down on Jonah's head so that he became faint and wanted to die. “I'd rather die than live!” he said.
9But the Lord asked Jonah, “Do you have a good reason to be so angry about the plant?” “Yes I do!” Jonah replied. “I'm angry enough to die!”
10Then the Lord told Jonah, “You're concerned about a plant which you did nothing about, and you didn't make it grow. It came up overnight and died overnight.
11Shouldn't I be concerned about the great city of Nineveh where one hundred and twenty thousand people live who don't know their right hand from their left, not to mention all the animals?”
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Copyright © 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Supplied unaltered through eBible.org. Text unchanged, used under CC BY-SA 4.0.