Jonah 44JonahJonah's anger and God's compassionE2T Jonah

E2T JonahBerean Standard Bible

1. Jonah’s Anger at the LORD’s Compassion

2. 1ENGE2TBut when Yahweh did not punish Nineveh, this distressed/displeased Jonah very much! And he became very angry. (The people in Nineveh were not Jews, and Jonah did not think that God should act mercifully toward people who were enemies to the Jews.)BSBBSB: Jonah, however, was greatly displeased, and he became angry.
3. 2ENGE2TSo, Jonah complained to Yahweh, saying: "O Yahweh, what you have done is what I thought that you would do, before I left home. That is why I decided immediately to run away, and go to Tarshish city. I did so because I knew that you, O God, act very kindly and compassionate toward all people. You do not quickly become angry with people who do evil things. You love people very much, and you change your mind about punishing sinful people when they repent.BSBBSB: So 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.
4. 3ENGE2TSo, now, O Yahweh, because you will not destroy Nineveh city as you said you would, allow me to die. It is better for me to die than to continue to live."BSBBSB: And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
5. 4ENGE2TYahweh replied, "Why are you angry that I have not destroyed the city?"BSBBSB: But the LORD replied, “Have you any right to be angry?”
6. 5ENGE2TJonah did not reply. He went out from the city to its east side. He made a small shelter so that he could sit under it and be protected from the sun. He sat under the shelter and waited to see what would happen to the city.BSBBSB: Then 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.
7. 6ENGE2TThen Yahweh God caused a vine to grow up immediately to shade Jonah's head from the sun and make him feel more comfortable. Jonah was very happy about having the vine over his head.BSBBSB: So 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.
8. 7ENGE2TBut before dawn the next day, God sent a worm that chewed the vine, with the result that the vine withered.BSBBSB: When dawn came the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant so that it withered.
9. 8ENGE2TThen, when the sun rose high in the sky, God sent a very hot wind from the east. The sun shone very strongly on Jonah's head, with the result that he felt faint. He wanted to die, and he said, "It would be better for me to die than to continue to live!"BSBBSB: As 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.”
10. 9ENGE2TBut God asked Jonah, "Is it right/good for you to be angry because the vine died?"BSBBSB: Then God asked Jonah, “Have you any right to be angry about the plant?” “I do,” he replied. “I am angry enough to die!”
11. 10ENGE2TBut Yahweh said to him, "You feel sorry about my causing that vine to wither, even though you did not make it grow and you did not care for it. It just grew up during one night, and it completely withered during the next night.BSBBSB: But 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.
12. 11ENGE2TBut there are more than 120,000 people in Nineveh who do not know right from wrong (and they are more valuable than that vine). There are also many animals/livestock/cows in Nineveh. So, it is right for me to show compassion to the people who live in that huge city and not want to destroy them!"BSBBSB: So 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?”