Chapter 4
Jonah’s Anger at the LORD’s Compassion
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Jonah, however, was greatly displeased…, and he became angry
𐤉𐤅𐤍𐤄 𐤂𐤃𐤅𐤋𐤄 𐤅𐤉𐤓𐤏 𐤀𐤋 𐤓𐤏𐤄 𐤅𐤉𐤇𐤓 𐤋𐤅
יוֹנָ֖ה גְדוֹלָ֑ה וַיֵּ֥רַע אֶל־ רָעָ֣ה וַיִּ֖חַר לֽוֹ׃ yō·w·nāh ḡə·ḏō·w·lāh way·yê·ra‘ ’el- rā·‘āh way·yi·ḥar lōw — WLC · 1
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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.
𐤅𐤉𐤕𐤐𐤋𐤋 𐤀𐤋 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 𐤅𐤉𐤀𐤌𐤓 𐤀𐤍𐤄 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 𐤆𐤄 𐤄𐤋𐤅𐤀 𐤃𐤁𐤓𐤉 𐤏𐤃 𐤄𐤉𐤅𐤕𐤉 𐤏𐤋 𐤀𐤃𐤌𐤕𐤉 𐤏𐤋 𐤊𐤍 𐤒𐤃𐤌𐤕𐤉 𐤋𐤁𐤓𐤇 𐤕𐤓𐤔𐤉𐤔𐤄 𐤉𐤃𐤏𐤕𐤉 𐤊𐤉 𐤊𐤉 𐤀𐤕𐤄 𐤇𐤍𐤅𐤍 𐤅𐤓𐤇𐤅𐤌 𐤀𐤋 𐤀𐤓𐤊 𐤀𐤐𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤓𐤁 𐤇𐤎𐤃 𐤅𐤍𐤇𐤌 𐤏𐤋 𐤄𐤓𐤏𐤄
וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֨ל אֶל־ יְהוָ֜ה וַיֹּאמַ֗ר אָנָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ זֶ֣ה הֲלוֹא־ דְבָרִ֗י עַד־ הֱיוֹתִי֙ עַל־ אַדְמָתִ֔י עַל־ כֵּ֥ן קִדַּ֖מְתִּי לִבְרֹ֣חַ תַּרְשִׁ֑ישָׁה יָדַ֗עְתִּי כִּ֤י כִּ֣י אַתָּה֙ חַנּ֣וּן וְרַח֔וּם אֵֽל־ אֶ֤רֶךְ אַפַּ֙יִם֙ וְרַב־ חֶ֔סֶד וְנִחָ֖ם עַל־ הָרָעָֽה׃ way·yiṯ·pal·lêl ’el- Yah·weh way·yō·mar ’ān·nāh Yah·weh zeh hă·lō·w- ḏə·ḇā·rî ‘aḏ- hĕ·yō·w·ṯî ‘al- ’aḏ·mā·ṯî ‘al- kên qid·dam·tî liḇ·rō·aḥ tar·šî·šāh yā·ḏa‘·tî kî kî ’at·tāh ḥan·nūn wə·ra·ḥūm ’êl- ’e·reḵ ’ap·pa·yim wə·raḇ- ḥe·seḏ wə·ni·ḥām ‘al- hā·rā·‘āh — WLC · 2
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And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
𐤅𐤏𐤕𐤄 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 𐤍𐤀 𐤀𐤕 𐤒𐤇 𐤍𐤐𐤔𐤉 𐤌𐤌𐤍𐤉 𐤊𐤉 𐤈𐤅𐤁 𐤌𐤅𐤕𐤉 𐤌𐤇𐤉𐤉𐤎
וְעַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה נָ֥א אֶת־ קַח־ נַפְשִׁ֖י מִמֶּ֑נִּי כִּ֛י ט֥וֹב מוֹתִ֖י מֵחַיָּֽי׃ס wə·‘at·tāh Yah·weh nā ’eṯ- qaḥ- nap̄·šî mim·men·nî kî ṭō·wḇ mō·w·ṯî mê·ḥay·yāy — WLC · 3
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But the LORD replied, “Have you any right to be angry?”
𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 𐤅𐤉𐤀𐤌𐤓 𐤋𐤊 𐤄𐤄𐤉𐤈𐤁 𐤇𐤓𐤄
יְהוָ֔ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָֽךְ׃ הַהֵיטֵ֖ב חָ֥רָה Yah·weh way·yō·mer lāḵ ha·hê·ṭêḇ ḥā·rāh — WLC · 4
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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.
𐤉𐤅𐤍𐤄 𐤅𐤉𐤑𐤀 𐤄𐤏𐤉𐤓 𐤅𐤉𐤔𐤁 𐤌𐤍 𐤌𐤒𐤃𐤌 𐤋𐤏𐤉𐤓 𐤔𐤌 𐤅𐤉𐤏𐤔 𐤋𐤅 𐤎𐤊𐤄 𐤅𐤉𐤔𐤁 𐤕𐤇𐤕𐤉𐤄 𐤁𐤑𐤋 𐤏𐤃 𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤉𐤓𐤀𐤄 𐤌𐤄 𐤉𐤄𐤉𐤄 𐤁𐤏𐤉𐤓
יוֹנָה֙ וַיֵּצֵ֤א הָעִ֔יר וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב מִן־ מִקֶּ֣דֶם לָעִ֑יר שָׁ֜ם וַיַּעַשׂ֩ ל֨וֹ סֻכָּ֗ה וַיֵּ֤שֶׁב תַּחְתֶּ֙יהָ֙ בַּצֵּ֔ל עַ֚ד אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִרְאֶ֔ה מַה־ יִּהְיֶ֖ה בָּעִֽיר׃ yō·w·nāh way·yê·ṣê hā·‘îr way·yê·šeḇ min- miq·qe·ḏem lā·‘îr šām way·ya·‘aś lōw suk·kāh way·yê·šeḇ taḥ·te·hā baṣ·ṣêl ‘aḏ ’ă·šer yir·’eh mah- yih·yeh bā·‘îr — WLC · 5
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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.
𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤉𐤌𐤍 𐤒𐤉𐤒𐤉𐤅𐤍 𐤅𐤉𐤏𐤋 𐤋𐤄𐤉𐤅𐤕 𐤑𐤋 𐤌𐤏𐤋 𐤋𐤉𐤅𐤍𐤄 𐤏𐤋 𐤓𐤀𐤔𐤅 𐤋𐤄𐤑𐤉𐤋 𐤋𐤅 𐤌𐤓𐤏𐤕𐤅 𐤉𐤅𐤍𐤄 𐤏𐤋 𐤔𐤌𐤇𐤄 𐤂𐤃𐤅𐤋𐤄 𐤅𐤉𐤔𐤌𐤇 𐤄𐤒𐤉𐤒𐤉𐤅𐤍
יְהוָֽה־ אֱ֠לֹהִים וַיְמַ֣ן קִיקָי֞וֹן וַיַּ֣עַל׀ לִֽהְי֥וֹת צֵל֙ מֵעַ֣ל לְיוֹנָ֗ה עַל־ רֹאשׁ֔וֹ לְהַצִּ֥יל ל֖וֹ מֵרָֽעָת֑וֹ יוֹנָ֛ה עַל־ שִׂמְחָ֥ה גְדוֹלָֽה׃ וַיִּשְׂמַ֥ח הַקִּֽיקָי֖וֹן Yah·weh- ’ĕ·lō·hîm way·man qî·qā·yō·wn way·ya·‘al lih·yō·wṯ ṣêl mê·‘al lə·yō·w·nāh ‘al- rō·šōw lə·haṣ·ṣîl lōw mê·rā·‘ā·ṯōw yō·w·nāh ‘al- śim·ḥāh ḡə·ḏō·w·lāh way·yiś·maḥ haq·qî·qā·yō·wn — WLC · 6
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When dawn came the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant so that it withered.
𐤄𐤔𐤇𐤓 𐤁𐤏𐤋𐤅𐤕 𐤋𐤌𐤇𐤓𐤕 𐤄𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤉𐤌𐤍 𐤕𐤅𐤋𐤏𐤕 𐤅𐤕𐤊 𐤀𐤕 𐤄𐤒𐤉𐤒𐤉𐤅𐤍 𐤅𐤉𐤉𐤁𐤔
הַשַּׁ֖חַר בַּעֲל֥וֹת לַֽמָּחֳרָ֑ת הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ וַיְמַ֤ן תּוֹלַ֔עַת וַתַּ֥ךְ אֶת־ הַקִּֽיקָי֖וֹן וַיִּיבָֽשׁ׃ haš·ša·ḥar ba·‘ă·lō·wṯ lam·mā·ḥo·rāṯ hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm way·man tō·w·la·‘aṯ wat·taḵ ’eṯ- haq·qî·qā·yō·wn way·yî·ḇāš — WLC · 7
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- 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.”
𐤅𐤉𐤄𐤉 𐤄𐤔𐤌𐤔 𐤊𐤆𐤓𐤇 𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤉𐤌𐤍 𐤇𐤓𐤉𐤔𐤉𐤕 𐤒𐤃𐤉𐤌 𐤓𐤅𐤇 𐤄𐤔𐤌𐤔 𐤅𐤕𐤊 𐤏𐤋 𐤉𐤅𐤍𐤄 𐤓𐤀𐤔 𐤅𐤉𐤕𐤏𐤋𐤐 𐤍𐤐𐤔𐤅 𐤅𐤉𐤔𐤀𐤋 𐤀𐤕 𐤋𐤌𐤅𐤕 𐤅𐤉𐤀𐤌𐤓 𐤈𐤅𐤁 𐤌𐤅𐤕𐤉 𐤌𐤇𐤉𐤉
וַיְהִ֣י׀ הַשֶּׁ֗מֶשׁ כִּזְרֹ֣חַ אֱלֹהִ֜ים וַיְמַ֨ן חֲרִישִׁ֔ית קָדִים֙ ר֤וּחַ הַשֶּׁ֛מֶשׁ וַתַּ֥ךְ עַל־ יוֹנָ֖ה רֹ֥אשׁ וַיִּתְעַלָּ֑ף נַפְשׁוֹ֙ וַיִּשְׁאַ֤ל אֶת־ לָמ֔וּת וַיֹּ֕אמֶר ט֥וֹב מוֹתִ֖י מֵחַיָּֽי׃ way·hî haš·še·meš kiz·rō·aḥ ’ĕ·lō·hîm way·man ḥă·rî·šîṯ qā·ḏîm rū·aḥ haš·še·meš wat·taḵ ‘al- yō·w·nāh rōš way·yiṯ·‘al·lāp̄ nap̄·šōw way·yiš·’al ’eṯ- lā·mūṯ way·yō·mer ṭō·wḇ mō·w·ṯî mê·ḥay·yāy — WLC · 8
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Then God… asked Jonah, “Have you any right to be angry about the plant?” “I do,” he replied. “I am angry enough to die!”
𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤉𐤌 𐤀𐤋 𐤅𐤉𐤀𐤌𐤓 𐤉𐤅𐤍𐤄 𐤋𐤊 𐤄𐤄𐤉𐤈𐤁 𐤇𐤓𐤄 𐤏𐤋 𐤄𐤒𐤉𐤒𐤉𐤅𐤍 𐤄𐤉𐤈𐤁 𐤅𐤉𐤀𐤌𐤓 𐤇𐤓𐤄 𐤋𐤉 𐤏𐤃 𐤌𐤅𐤕
אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יוֹנָ֔ה לְךָ֖ הַהֵיטֵ֥ב חָרָֽה־ עַל־ הַקִּֽיקָי֑וֹן הֵיטֵ֥ב וַיֹּ֕אמֶר חָֽרָה־ לִ֖י עַד־ מָֽוֶת׃ ’ĕ·lō·hîm ’el- way·yō·mer yō·w·nāh lə·ḵā ha·hê·ṭêḇ ḥā·rāh- ‘al- haq·qî·qā·yō·wn hê·ṭêḇ way·yō·mer ḥā·rāh- lî ‘aḏ- mā·weṯ — WLC · 9
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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…
𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 𐤅𐤉𐤀𐤌𐤓 𐤀𐤕𐤄 𐤇𐤎𐤕 𐤏𐤋 𐤄𐤒𐤉𐤒𐤉𐤅𐤍 𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤋𐤀 𐤏𐤌𐤋𐤕 𐤁𐤅 𐤅𐤋𐤀 𐤂𐤃𐤋𐤕𐤅 𐤄𐤉𐤄 𐤔𐤁𐤍 𐤋𐤉𐤋𐤄 𐤀𐤁𐤃 𐤅𐤁𐤍 𐤋𐤉𐤋𐤄
יְהוָ֔ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אַתָּ֥ה חַ֙סְתָּ֙ עַל־ הַקִּ֣יקָי֔וֹן אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־ עָמַ֥לְתָּ בּ֖וֹ וְלֹ֣א גִדַּלְתּ֑וֹ הָיָ֖ה שֶׁבִּן־ לַ֥יְלָה אָבָֽד׃ וּבִן־ לַ֥יְלָה Yah·weh way·yō·mer ’at·tāh ḥas·tā ‘al- haq·qî·qā·yō·wn ’ă·šer lō- ‘ā·mal·tā bōw wə·lō ḡid·dal·tōw hā·yāh šeb·bin- lay·lāh ’ā·ḇāḏ ū·ḇin- lay·lāh — WLC · 10
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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?”
𐤅𐤀𐤍𐤉 𐤋𐤀 𐤀𐤇𐤅𐤎 𐤏𐤋 𐤄𐤂𐤃𐤅𐤋𐤄 𐤄𐤏𐤉𐤓 𐤍𐤉𐤍𐤅𐤄 𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤉𐤔 𐤁𐤄 𐤄𐤓𐤁𐤄 𐤌𐤔𐤕𐤉𐤌 𐤏𐤔𐤓𐤄 𐤓𐤁𐤅 𐤀𐤃𐤌 𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤃𐤏 𐤁𐤉𐤍 𐤉𐤌𐤉𐤍𐤅 𐤋𐤔𐤌𐤀𐤋𐤅 𐤓𐤁𐤄 𐤅𐤁𐤄𐤌𐤄
וַֽאֲנִי֙ לֹ֣א אָח֔וּס עַל־ הַגְּדוֹלָ֑ה הָעִ֣יר נִינְוֵ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶשׁ־ בָּ֡הּ הַרְבֵּה֩ מִֽשְׁתֵּים־ עֶשְׂרֵ֨ה רִבּ֜וֹ אָדָ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־ יָדַע֙ בֵּין־ יְמִינ֣וֹ לִשְׂמֹאל֔וֹ רַבָּֽה׃ וּבְהֵמָ֖ה wa·’ă·nî lō ’ā·ḥūs ‘al- hag·gə·ḏō·w·lāh hā·‘îr nî·nə·wêh ’ă·šer yeš- bāh har·bêh miš·têm- ‘eś·rêh rib·bōw ’ā·ḏām ’ă·šer lō- yā·ḏa‘ bên- yə·mî·nōw liś·mō·lōw rab·bāh ū·ḇə·hê·māh — WLC · 11