Revised Literal Translation

Jonah 4

1But it displeasedH3415Jonahיוֹנָ֖הyo.NahH3124exceedinglyרָעָ֣ה גְדוֹלָ֑הra.'Ah ge.do.LahH7451 H1419,and he was very angryוַיִּ֖חַרvai.Yi.charH2734.

2And he prayedוַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֨לvai.yit.pa.LelH6419unto Yhwhיְהוָ֜הYah.wehH3068,and saidוַיֹּאמַ֗רvai.yo.MarH559,I prayאָנָּ֤ה'a.NahH577thee, O Yhwhיְהוָה֙Yah.wehH3068, wasnot this my sayingדְבָרִ֗יde.va.RiH1697,when I was yet in my countryאַדְמָתִ֔י'ad.ma.TiH127?Therefore I fledלִבְרֹ֣חַliv.Ro.achH1272beforeקִדַּ֖מְתִּיki.Dam.tiH6923unto Tarshishתַּרְשִׁ֑ישָׁהtar.Shi.shahH8659:for I knewיָדַ֗עְתִּיya.Da'.tiH3045that thou arta graciousחַנּ֣וּןcha.NunH2587Godאֵֽל־'el-H410,and mercifulוְרַח֔וּםve.ra.ChumH7349,slowאֶ֤רֶךְ'E.rekhH750to angerאַפַּ֙יִם֙'a.Pa.yimH639,and of greatוְרַב־ve.rav-H7227kindnessחֶ֔סֶדChe.sedH2617,and repentestוְנִחָ֖םve.ni.ChamH5162thee of the evilהָרָעָֽה׃ha.ra.'AhH7451.

3Therefore now, O Yhwhיְהוָ֔הYah.wehH3068,takeקַח־kach-H3947,I beseech thee, my lifeנַפְשִׁ֖יnaf.ShiH5315from me; for it isbetterט֥וֹבTovH2896for me to dieמוֹתִ֖יmo.TiH4194than to liveמֵחַיָּֽי׃ סme.chai.YaiH2416.

4Then saidוַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559Yhwhיְהוָ֔הYah.wehH3068,Doest thou wellהַהֵיטֵ֖בha.hei.TevH3190to be angryחָ֥רָהCha.rahH2734?

5So Jonahיוֹנָה֙yo.NahH3124went outוַיֵּצֵ֤אvai.ye.Tze'H3318of the cityהָעִ֔ירha.'IrH5892,and satוַיֵּ֖שֶׁבvai.Ye.shevH3427on the east sideמִקֶּ֣דֶםmi.Ke.demH6924of the cityלָעִ֑ירla.'IrH5892,and there madeוַיַּעַשׂ֩vai.ya.'AsH6213him a boothסֻכָּ֗הsu.KahH5521,and satוַיֵּ֤שֶׁבvai.Ye.shevH3427under it in the shadowבַּצֵּ֔לba.TzelH6738,till he might seeיִרְאֶ֔הyir.'EhH7200what would become of the cityבָּעִֽיר׃ba.'IrH5892.

6And Yhwhיְהוָֽה־Yah.weh-H3068Godאֱ֠לֹהִים'E.lo.HimH430preparedוַיְמַ֣ןvay.ManH4487a gourdקִיקָי֞וֹןki.ka.YonH7021, and made itto come upוַיַּ֣עַל׀vai.Ya.'alH5927over Jonahלְיוֹנָ֗הle.yo.NahH3124,that it might be a shadowצֵל֙tzelH6738over his headרֹאשׁ֔וֹro.ShoH7218,to deliverלְהַצִּ֥ילle.ha.TzilH5337him from his griefמֵרָֽעָת֑וֹme.ra.'a.ToH7451.So Jonahיוֹנָ֛הyo.NahH3124was exceedingשִׂמְחָ֥ה גְדוֹלָֽה׃sim.Chah ge.do.LahH8057 H1419gladוַיִּשְׂמַ֥חvai.yis.MachH8055of the gourdהַקִּֽיקָי֖וֹןha.ki.ka.YonH7021.

7But Godהָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ha.'E.lo.HimH430preparedוַיְמַ֤ןvay.ManH4487a wormתּוֹלַ֔עַתto.La.'atH8438when the morningהַשַּׁ֖חַרha.Sha.charH7837roseבַּעֲל֥וֹתba.'a.LotH5927the next dayלַֽמָּחֳרָ֑תla.mo.cho.RatH4283,and it smoteוַתַּ֥ךְva.TakhH5221the gourdהַקִּֽיקָי֖וֹןha.ki.ka.YonH7021that it witheredוַיִּיבָֽשׁ׃vai.yi.VashH3001.

8And it came to pass, when the sunהַשֶּׁ֗מֶשׁha.She.meshH8121did ariseכִּזְרֹ֣חַkiz.Ro.achH2224,that Godאֱלֹהִ֜ים'E.lo.HimH430preparedוַיְמַ֨ןvay.ManH4487a vehementחֲרִישִׁ֔יתcha.ri.ShitH2759eastקָדִים֙ka.DimH6921windר֤וּחַRu.achH7307;and the sunהַשֶּׁ֛מֶשׁha.She.meshH8121beatוַתַּ֥ךְva.TakhH5221upon the headרֹ֥אשׁroshH7218of Jonahיוֹנָ֖הyo.NahH3124,that he faintedוַיִּתְעַלָּ֑ףvai.yit.'a.LafH5968,and wishedוַיִּשְׁאַ֤לvai.yish.'AlH7592in himselfנַפְשׁוֹ֙naf.ShoH5315to dieלָמ֔וּתla.MutH4191,and saidוַיֹּ֕אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559, It isbetterט֥וֹבTovH2896for me to dieמוֹתִ֖יmo.TiH4194than to liveמֵחַיָּֽי׃me.chai.YaiH2416.

9And Godאֱלֹהִים֙'E.lo.HimH430saidוַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559to Jonahיוֹנָ֔הyo.NahH3124,Doest thou wellהַהֵיטֵ֥בha.hei.TevH3190to be angryחָרָֽה־cha.rah-H2734for the gourdהַקִּֽיקָי֑וֹןha.ki.ka.YonH7021?And he saidוַיֹּ֕אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559,I do wellהֵיטֵ֥בhei.TevH3190to be angryחָֽרָה־cha.rah-H2734, evenunto deathמָֽוֶת׃Ma.vetH4194.

10Then saidוַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559Yhwhיְהוָ֔הYah.wehH3068,Thou hast had pityחַ֙סְתָּ֙chas.taH2347on the gourdהַקִּ֣יקָי֔וֹןha.Ki.ka.YonH7021,for the which thou hast not labouredעָמַ֥לְתָּ'a.Mal.taH5998,neither madest it growגִדַּלְתּ֑וֹgi.dal.ToH1431;which came up in a nightשֶׁבִּן־ לַ֥יְלָהshe.bin- Lay.lahH3915 H1121,and perishedאָבָֽד׃'a.VadH6in a nightוּבִן־ לַ֥יְלָהu.vin- Lay.lahH3915 H1121:

11And should not I spareאָח֔וּס'a.ChusH2347Ninevehנִינְוֵ֖הnin.VehH5210,that greatהַגְּדוֹלָ֑הha.ge.do.LahH1419cityהָעִ֣ירha.'IrH5892,wherein areיֶשׁ־yesh-H3426moreהַרְבֵּה֩har.BehH7235than sixscoreמִֽשְׁתֵּים־ עֶשְׂרֵ֨הmish.teim- 'es.RehH6240 H8147thousandרִבּ֜וֹri.BoH7239personsאָדָ֗ם'a.DamH120that cannot discernיָדַע֙ya.Da'H3045between their right handיְמִינ֣וֹye.mi.NoH3225and their left handלִשְׂמֹאל֔וֹlis.mo.LoH8040; and alsomuchרַבָּֽה׃ra.BahH7227cattleוּבְהֵמָ֖הu.ve.he.MahH929?

Commentaries on Jonah 4