Jonas's Anger and the Gourd
Jonah 4
Jonas is deeply grieved that the Lord has spared Nineve, and he asks the Lord to take his life rather than let him live to see it. He sits outside the city under a gourd that the Lord provides for shade, but when the Lord causes it to wither, Jonas grieves for the gourd, and the Lord uses it to teach him about his own compassion toward Nineve.
About these editions
The Septuagint (LXX) in Greek, with Charles Thomson’s 1808 and Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 English translations, set beside the King James Version and the Jewish Masoretic text (JPS 1917) where they align, so you can compare the Greek and the Hebrew. All public domain; choose which to show with the controls above.
Thomson 1808Septuagint
Brenton 1851Septuagint
Greek · BrentonSeptuagint
KJV 1769Masoretic
JPS 1917Masoretic
1
ThomsonTHEREUPON Jonas was exceedingly grieved and confounded,
BrentonBut Jonas was very deeply grieved, and he was confounded.
GreekΚαὶ ἐλυπήθη Ἰωνᾶς λύπην μεγάλην· καὶ συνεχύθη,
KJV—
JPS—
2
Thomsonand he prayed to the Lord and said, O Lord were not these my words, when I was yet in my own country? For which cause I attempted to flee to Tharsis. For I knew that thou art compassionate and merciful, longsuffering and abundant in kindness and relentest at evils.
BrentonAnd he prayed to the Lord, and said, O Lord, were not these my words when I was yet in my land? therefore I made haste to flee to Tharsis; because I knew that thou art merciful and compassionate, long-suffering, and abundant in kindness, and repentest of evil.
Greekκαὶ προσεύξατο πρὸς Κύριον, καὶ εἶπεν, Κύριε, οὐχ οὗτοι οἱ λόγοι μου, ἔτι ὄντος μου ἐν τῇ γῇ μου; διατοῦτο προέφθασα τοῦ φυγεῖν εἰς Θαρσὶς, διότι ἔγνων ὅτι σὺ ἐλεήμων καὶ οἰκτίρμων, μακρόθυμος καὶ πολυέλεος, καὶ μετανοῶν ἐπὶ ταῖς κακίαις.
KJVAnd he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.
JPSAnd he prayed unto the LORD, and said: ‘I pray Thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in mine own country? Therefore I fled beforehand unto Tarshish; for I knew that Thou art a gracious God, and compassionate, long-suffering, and abundant in mercy, and repentest Thee of the evil.
3
ThomsonNow, therefore, O Sovereign Lord, take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.
BrentonAnd now, Lord God, take my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.
GreekΚαὶ νῦν, δέσποτα Κύριε, λάβε τὴν ψυχήν μου ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι καλὸν τὸ ἀποθανεῖν με ἢ ζῇν με.
KJVTherefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.
JPSTherefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech Thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.’
4
ThomsonAnd the Lord said to Jonas, Art thou very sorry?
BrentonAnd the Lord said to Jonas, Art thou very much grieved?
GreekΚαὶ εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς Ἰωνᾶν, εἰ σφόδρα λελύπησαι σύ;
KJVThen said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?
JPSAnd the LORD said: ‘Art thou greatly angry?’
5
Thomson(Now Jonas had gone out of the city and sat over against it, and had made for himself a booth and sat under it until he should see what would befall the city.)
BrentonAnd Jonas went out from the city, and sat over against the city; and he made for himself there a booth, and he sat under it, until he should perceive what would become of the city.
GreekΚαὶ ἐξῆλθεν Ἰωνᾶς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως, καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἀπέναντι τῆς πόλεως· καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτῷ ἐκεῖ σκηνὴν, καὶ ἐκάθητο ὑποκάτω αὐτῆς, ἕως οὗ ἀπίδῃ τί ἔσται τῇ πόλει.
KJVSo Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.
JPSThen Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.
6
ThomsonAnd the Lord had given orders to a gourd vine, and it had sprung up over the head of Jonas to be a shade over his head to shade him on account of his sufferings; and Jonas was exceedingly glad of the gourd vine.
BrentonAnd the Lord God commanded a gourd, and it came up over the head of Jonas, to be a shadow over his head, to shade him from his calamities: and Jonas rejoiced with great joy for the gourd.
GreekΚαὶ προσέταξε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς κολοκύνθῃ, καὶ ἀνέβη ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς τοῦ Ἰωνᾶ, τοῦ εἶναι σκιὰν ὑπεράνω τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ, τοῦ σκιάζειν αὐτῷ ἀπὸ τῶν κακῶν αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐχάρη Ἰωνᾶς ἐπὶ τῇ κολοκύνθῃ χαρὰν μεγάλην.
KJVAnd the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.
JPSAnd the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his evil. So Jonah was exceeding glad because of the gourd.
7
ThomsonBut early the next morning God gave orders to a worm and it smote the gourd and it withered.
BrentonAnd God commanded a worm the next morning, and it smote the gourd, and it withered away.
GreekΚαὶ προσέταξεν ὁ Θεὸς σκώληκι ἑωθινῇ τῇ ἐπαυρίον, καὶ ἐπάταξε τὴν κολόκυνθαν, καὶ ἀπεξηράνθη.
KJVBut God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
JPSBut God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd, that it withered.
8
ThomsonAnd when the sun rose God ordered a burning wind to spring up and the sun beat upon Jonas’ head so that he became faint and abandoned himself to despair and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
BrentonAnd it came to pass at the rising of the sun, that God commanded a burning east wind; and the sun smote on the head of Jonas, and he fainted, and despaired of his life, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
GreekΚαὶ ἐγένετο ἅμα τῷ ἀνατεῖλαι τὸν ἥλιον, καὶ προσέταξεν ὁ Θεὸς πνεύματι καύσωνι συγκαίοντι, καὶ ἐπάταξεν ὁ ἥλιος ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ Ἰωνᾶ· καὶ ὠλιγοψύχησε, καὶ ἀπελέγετο τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἶπε, καλόν μοι ἀποθανεῖν με ἢ ζῇν.
KJVAnd it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
JPSAnd it came to pass, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and requested for himself that he might die, and said: ‘It is better for me to die than to live.’
9
ThomsonAnd God said to Jonas, Art thou very sorry for the gourd vine? And he said, I am sorry even to death.
BrentonAnd God said to Jonas, Art thou very much grieved for the gourd? And he said, I am very much grieved, even to death.
GreekΚαὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς Ἰωνᾶν, εἰ σφόδρα λελύπησαι σὺ ἐπὶ τῇ κολοκύνθῃ; καὶ εἶπε, σφόδρα λελύπημαι ἐγὼ ἕως θανάτου.
KJVAnd 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.
JPSAnd God said to Jonah: ‘Art thou greatly angry for the gourd?’ And he said: ‘I am greatly angry, even unto death.’
10
ThomsonThereupon the Lord said, Thou hast compassion for the gourd, for which thou hast not toiled and which thou hast not nourished, which sprang up in a night and perished in a night.
BrentonAnd the Lord said, Thou hadst pity on the gourd, for which thou hast not suffered, neither didst thou rear it; which came up before night, and perished before another night:
GreekΚαὶ εἶπε Κύριος, σὺ ἐφείσω ὑπὲρ τῆς κολοκύνθης, ὑπὲρ ἧς οὐκ ἐκακοπάθησας ἐπʼ αὐτὴν, καὶ οὐδὲ ἐξέθρεψας αὐτὴν, ἣ ἐγενήθη ὑπὸ νύκτα, καὶ ὑπὸ νύκτα ἀπώλετο·
KJVThen 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:
JPSAnd the LORD said: ‘Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow, which came up in a night, and perished in a night;
11
ThomsonAnd shall not I have compassion on Ninive, this great city, in which there are more than one hundred and twenty thousand of the human species who know not their right hand and their left, and also much cattle?
Brentonand shall not I spare Nineve, the great city, in which dwell more than twelve myriads of human beings, who do not know their right hand or their left hand; and also much cattle?
Greekἐγὼ δὲ οὐ φείσομαι ὑπὲρ Νινευὴ τῆς πόλεως τῆς μεγάλης, ἐν ᾗ κατοικοῦσι πλείους ἢ δώδεκα μυριάδες ἀνθρώπων, οἵτινες οὐκ ἔγνωσαν δεξιὰν αὐτῶν ἢ ἀριστερὰν αὐτῶν, καὶ κτήνη πολλά;
KJVAnd 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?
JPSand should not I have pity on 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?’