約拿書 4

1 這事約拿大大不悅，且甚發怒，

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.

2 就禱告耶和華說：「耶和華啊，我在本國的時候豈不是這樣說嗎？我知道你是有恩典、有憐憫的上帝，不輕易發怒，有豐盛的慈愛，並且後悔不降所說的災，所以我急速逃往他施去。

He prayed to Jehovah, and said, "Please, Jehovah, wasn't this what I said when I was still in my own country? Therefore I hurried to flee to Tarshish, for I knew that you are a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and you relent of doing harm.

3 耶和華啊，現在求你取我的命吧！因為我死了比活着還好。」

Therefore now, Jehovah, take, I beg you, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live."

4 耶和華說：「你這樣發怒合乎理嗎？」

Jehovah said, "Is it right for you to be angry?"

5 於是約拿出城，坐在城的東邊，在那裏為自己搭了一座棚，坐在棚的蔭下，要看看那城究竟如何。

Then Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made himself a booth, and sat under it in the shade, until he might see what would become of the city.

6 耶和華上帝安排一棵蓖麻，使其發生高過約拿，影兒遮蓋他的頭，救他脫離苦楚；約拿因這棵蓖麻大大喜樂。

Jehovah God prepared a vine, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to deliver him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the vine.

7 次日黎明，上帝卻安排一條蟲子咬這蓖麻，以致枯槁。

But God prepared a worm at dawn the next day, and it chewed on the vine, so that it withered.

8 日頭出來的時候，上帝安排炎熱的東風，日頭曝曬約拿的頭，使他發昏，他就為自己求死，說：「我死了比活着還好！」

It happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a sultry east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah's head, so that he fainted, and requested for himself that he might die, and said, "It is better for me to die than to live."

9 上帝對約拿說：「你因這棵蓖麻發怒合乎理嗎？」他說：「我發怒以至於死，都合乎理！」

God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the vine?" He said, "I am right to be angry, even to death."

10 耶和華說：「這蓖麻不是你栽種的，也不是你培養的；一夜發生，一夜乾死，你尚且愛惜；

Jehovah said, "You have been concerned for the vine, for which you have not labored, neither made it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night.

11 何況這尼尼微大城，其中不能分辨左手右手的有十二萬多人，並有許多牲畜，我豈能不愛惜呢？」

Shouldn't I be concerned for Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred twenty thousand persons who can't discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much livestock?"