Jonah 4
1 But Jonah was very distressed [that God had not destroyed Nineveh]. He became very angry. [The people of Nineveh were non-Jews, and Jonah did not think that God should act mercifully toward anyone who was not a Jew].
Et afflictus est Jonas afflictione magna, et iratus est:
2 He prayed to Yahweh, “O Yahweh, what you have done is what I thought that you would do, before I left home [RHQ]. That is why I [decided] immediately to run away, and go to Tarshish [city], because I knew that you, O God, act very kindly and compassionately [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 [people who sin].
et oravit ad Dominum, et dixit: Obsecro, Domine, numquid non hoc est verbum meum cum adhuc essem in terra mea? propter hoc præoccupavi ut fugerem in Tharsis: scio enim quia tu Deus clemens et misericors es, patiens et multæ miserationis, et ignoscens super malitia.
3 [So] now, O Yahweh, [since you will not destroy Nineveh city as you said you would], allow me to die, because it would be better for me to die than to [continue to] live.”
Et nunc, Domine, tolle, quæso, animam meam a me, quia melior est mihi mors quam vita.
4 Yahweh replied, “(Why is it right for you to be angry [about my not destroying the city]?/It is not right for you to be angry [about my not destroying the city]!) [RHQ]”
Et dixit Dominus: Putasne bene irasceris tu?
5 Jonah [did not reply]. He went out of the city to the east [side of it]. He made a small shelter in order 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.
Et egressus est Jonas de civitate, et sedit contra orientem civitatis: et fecit sibimet umbraculum ibi, et sedebat subter illud in umbra, donec videret quid accideret civitati.
6 Then 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].
Et præparavit Dominus Deus hederam, et ascendit super caput Jonæ, ut esset umbra super caput ejus, et protegeret eum (laboraverat enim): et lætatus est Jonas super hedera lætitia magna.
7 But before dawn the next day, God sent a worm that chewed the vine, with the result that the vine withered.
Et paravit Deus vermen ascensu diluculi in crastinum: et percussit hederam, et exaruit.
8 Then, when the sun rose [high in the sky], God sent a very hot wind from the east, and 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!”
Et cum ortus fuisset sol, præcepit Dominus vento calido et urenti: et percussit sol super caput Jonæ, et æstuabat: et petivit animæ suæ ut moreretur, et dixit: Melius est mihi mori quam vivere.
9 But God asked Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about [what happened to] the vine?” Jonah replied, “[Yes], it is right! [Now] I am very angry and I want to die!”
Et dixit Dominus ad Jonam: Putasne bene irasceris tu super hedera? Et dixit: Bene irascor ego usque ad mortem.
10 But Yahweh said [to him], “You have been concerned about my [causing] that vine [to wither], even though you did not take care of it, and you did not make it grow. It just grew up during one night, and it completely withered [at the end of] the next night.
Et dixit Dominus: Tu doles super hederam in qua non laborasti, neque fecisti ut cresceret; quæ sub una nocte nata est, et sub una nocte periit:
11 But there are more than 120,000 people in Nineveh who [are very young, and because of that], they cannot tell which is their right hand and which is their left hand, and there are also many cattle, [and none of these have done anything to displease me]. So (is it not right for me to be concerned about the people of that huge city, [and not want to destroy them]?/it is certainly right for me to be concerned about the people of that huge city [and not want to destroy them]!) [RHQ]”
et ego non parcam Ninive, civitati magnæ, in qua sunt plus quam centum viginti millia hominum qui nesciunt quid sit inter dexteram et sinistram suam, et jumenta multa?
