Jonah 4:1,3-4,9-11
Jonah 4:1-2 The Message (MSG)
Jonah was furious. He lost his temper. He yelled at GOD, “GOD! I knew it—when I was back home, I knew this was going to happen! That’s why I ran off to Tarshish! I knew you were sheer grace and mercy, not easily angered, rich in love, and ready at the drop of a hat to turn your plans of punishment into a program of forgiveness!
Jonah 4:3-4 The Message (MSG)
“So, GOD, if you won’t kill them, kill me! I’m better off dead!” GOD said, “What do you have to be angry about?”
Jonah 4:9-10-11 The Message (MSG)
Then God said to Jonah, “What right do you have to get angry about this shade tree?” Jonah said, “Plenty of right. It’s made me angry enough to die!” GOD said, “What’s this? How is it that you can change your feelings from pleasure to anger overnight about a mere shade tree that you did nothing to get? You neither planted nor watered it. It grew up one night and died the next night. So, why can’t I likewise change what I feel about Nineveh from anger to pleasure, this big city of more than 120,000 childlike people who don’t yet know right from wrong, to say nothing of all the innocent animals?”
Jonah 4:1 King James Version (KJV)
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.
Jonah 4:3-4 King James Version (KJV)
Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?
Jonah 4:9-11 King James Version (KJV)
And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death. Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: and should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?
Jonah 4:1 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry.
Jonah 4:3-4 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.” The LORD said, “Do you have good reason to be angry?”
Jonah 4:9-11 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
Then God said to Jonah, “Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “I have good reason to be angry, even to death.” Then the LORD said, “You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?”
Jonah 4:1 New Century Version (NCV)
But this made Jonah very unhappy, and he became angry.
Jonah 4:3-4 New Century Version (NCV)
So now I ask you, LORD, please kill me. It is better for me to die than to live.” Then the LORD said, “Do you think it is right for you to be angry?”
Jonah 4:9-11 New Century Version (NCV)
But God said to Jonah, “Do you think it is right for you to be angry about the plant?” Jonah answered, “It is right for me to be angry! I am so angry I could die!” And the LORD said, “You are so concerned for that plant even though you did nothing to make it grow. It appeared one day, and the next day it died. Then shouldn’t I show concern for the great city Nineveh, which has more than one hundred twenty thousand people who do not know right from wrong, and many animals, too?”
Jonah 4:1 American Standard Version (ASV)
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
Jonah 4:3-4 American Standard Version (ASV)
Therefore now, O Jehovah, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. And Jehovah said, Doest thou well to be angry?
Jonah 4:9-11 American Standard Version (ASV)
And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death. And Jehovah said, Thou hast had regard for the gourd, for which thou hast not labored, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: and should not I have regard for Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?
Jonah 4:1 New International Version (NIV)
But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.
Jonah 4:3-4 New International Version (NIV)
Now, LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” But the LORD replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
Jonah 4:9-11 New International Version (NIV)
But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” “It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.” But the LORD said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
Jonah 4:1 New King James Version (NKJV)
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.
Jonah 4:3-4 New King James Version (NKJV)
Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!” Then the LORD said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
Jonah 4:9-11 New King James Version (NKJV)
Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!” But the LORD said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?”
Jonah 4:1 Amplified Bible (AMP)
But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry.
Jonah 4:3-4 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Therefore now, O LORD, just take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” Then the LORD said, “Do you have a good reason to be angry?”
Jonah 4:9-11 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Then God said to Jonah, “Do you have a good reason to be angry about [the loss of] the plant?” And he said, “I have a [very] good reason to be angry, angry enough to die!” Then the LORD said, “You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 [innocent] persons, who do not know the difference between their right and left hand [and are not yet accountable for sin], as well as many [blameless] animals?”
Jonah 4:1 New Living Translation (NLT)
This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry.
Jonah 4:3-4 New Living Translation (NLT)
Just kill me now, LORD! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.” The LORD replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”
Jonah 4:9-11 New Living Translation (NLT)
Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?” “Yes,” Jonah retorted, “even angry enough to die!” Then the LORD said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. But 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?”
Jonah 4:1 The Passion Translation (TPT)
Jonah was extremely upset that God would show mercy to Nineveh. Indignant, he fell into a rage.
Jonah 4:3-4 The Passion Translation (TPT)
So now, YAHWEH, please take my life, for death seems better to me than life.” YAHWEH replied, “What good reason do you have to be so angry?”
Jonah 4:5-11 The Passion Translation (TPT)
Then Jonah went out east of Nineveh, where he made himself a makeshift shelter. He sat there under its shade waiting to see what would happen to the city. Should I not have compassion for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, to say nothing of all the animals?”
Jonah 4:1 English Standard Version 2025 (ESV)
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
Jonah 4:3-4 English Standard Version 2025 (ESV)
Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” And the LORD said, “Do you do well to be angry?”
Jonah 4:9-11 English Standard Version 2025 (ESV)
But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” And the LORD said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”