1.5 KiB
Ah, Yahweh
The word "Ah" expresses Jonah's feeling of frustration. Your language may have a different way of expressing this.
is this not just what I said when I was back in my own country?
Jonah used this rhetorical question to show God how angry he was. In some languages translating this as a statement would sound more natural. Also what Jonah had said when he was back in his own country can be stated explicitly: "When I was still in my own country I knew that if I warned the people of Nineveh they would repent and you would not destroy them. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion)
I acted first and tried to flee to Tarshish
Possible meanings are 1) "I tried to prevent this by fleeing to Tarshish" or 2) "I acted quickly and tried to flee to Tarshish" or "I did all I could to flee to Tarshish"
abundant in faithfulness
"very faithful" or "You love people very much" (UDB)
you relent from sending disaster
"you decide not to destroy people." This means "you say that you will send disaster on sinners, but then you decide not to." This can also be translated as "you decide not to punish people who sin" .
take my life from me
Jonah's reason for wanting to die can be stated explicitly as it is in the UDB: "since you will not destroy Nineveh as you said you would, please allow me to die." (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit)
for it is better for me to die than to live
This can be translated as “I would prefer to die than live” or “because I want to die. I do not want to live.”