Scriptures

New Living Translation (NLT)

Jonah 3
⁷ Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city: “No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all.
⁸ People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence.
⁹ Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.”
¹⁰ When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.
Jonah 4
¹ This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry.
² So he complained to the LORD about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, LORD? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.
³ Just kill me now, LORD! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”
⁴ The LORD replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”
⁵ Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city.
⁶ And the LORD God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.
⁷ But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away.