A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.

哭有时，笑有时；哀恸有时，跳舞有时；

哭有时，笑有时；哀恸有时，跳舞有时；

哭有时，笑有时；哀恸有时，跳舞有时；

哭泣有时，欢笑有时；哀伤有时，雀跃有时；

哭有时，笑有时；哀恸有时，踊跃有时；

哭泣有时，欢笑有时；哀哭有时，跳跃有时；

哭有時，笑有時；哀慟有時，跳舞有時；

哭有時，笑有時；哀慟有時，跳舞有時；

哭有時，笑有時；哀慟有時，跳舞有時；

哭泣有時，歡笑有時；哀傷有時，雀躍有時；

哭有時，笑有時；哀慟有時，踴躍有時；

哭有時，笑有時；舉哀有時，踴躍有時；

哭泣有時，歡笑有時；哀哭有時，歡躍有時；

哭有其時、笑有其時、哀有其時、舞有其時、

有時可哭、有時可笑、有時可哀、有時可躍、

哭有時、笑有時、哀有時、躍有時、

a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

There is a time to weep. And there’s a time to laugh. There is a time to be sad. And there’s a time to dance.

a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance;

A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.

A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.

a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.

Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine and led all the women as they played their tambourines and danced.

Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.

I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy.It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world.So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy.

For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.

Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.

But the angel said,“ Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,

God blesses you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. God blesses you who weep now, for in due time you will laugh.What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man.When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.“ What sorrow awaits you who are rich, for you have your only happiness now.What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now, for a time of awful hunger awaits you. What sorrow awaits you who laugh now, for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow.

When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream!We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said,“ What amazing things the Lord has done for them.”

And Sarah declared,“ God has brought me laughter. All who hear about this will laugh with me.

And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her.

At that time the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, called you to weep and mourn. He told you to shave your heads in sorrow for your sins and to wear clothes of burlap to show your remorse.But instead, you dance and play; you slaughter cattle and kill sheep. You feast on meat and drink wine. You say,“ Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

But as the Ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she was filled with contempt for him.

Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them,“ Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.And Nehemiah continued,“ Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”And the Levites, too, quieted the people, telling them,“ Hush! Don’t weep! For this is a sacred day.”So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.

Jesus replied,“ Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

On October 31 the people assembled again, and this time they fasted and dressed in burlap and sprinkled dust on their heads.Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners as they confessed their own sins and the sins of their ancestors.They remained standing in place for three hours while the Book of the Law of the Lord their God was read aloud to them. Then for three more hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord their God.The Levites— Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kenani— stood on the stairway of the Levites and cried out to the Lord their God with loud voices.Then the leaders of the Levites— Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah— called out to the people:“ Stand up and praise the Lord your God, for he lives from everlasting to everlasting!” Then they prayed:“ May your glorious name be praised! May it be exalted above all blessing and praise!“ You alone are the Lord. You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels of heaven worship you.“ You are the Lord God, who chose Abram and brought him from Ur of the Chaldeans and renamed him Abraham.When he had proved himself faithful, you made a covenant with him to give him and his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites. And you have done what you promised, for you are always true to your word.“ You saw the misery of our ancestors in Egypt, and you heard their cries from beside the Red Sea.You displayed miraculous signs and wonders against Pharaoh, his officials, and all his people, for you knew how arrogantly they were treating our ancestors. You have a glorious reputation that has never been forgotten.You divided the sea for your people so they could walk through on dry land! And then you hurled their enemies into the depths of the sea. They sank like stones beneath the mighty waters.You led our ancestors by a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night so that they could find their way.“ You came down at Mount Sinai and spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and instructions that were just, and decrees and commands that were good.You instructed them concerning your holy Sabbath. And you commanded them, through Moses your servant, to obey all your commands, decrees, and instructions.“ You gave them bread from heaven when they were hungry and water from the rock when they were thirsty. You commanded them to go and take possession of the land you had sworn to give them.“ But our ancestors were proud and stubborn, and they paid no attention to your commands.They refused to obey and did not remember the miracles you had done for them. Instead, they became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them,even when they made an idol shaped like a calf and said,‘ This is your god who brought you out of Egypt!’ They committed terrible blasphemies.“ But in your great mercy you did not abandon them to die in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud still led them forward by day, and the pillar of fire showed them the way through the night.You sent your good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not stop giving them manna from heaven or water for their thirst.For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell!“ Then you helped our ancestors conquer kingdoms and nations, and you placed your people in every corner of the land. They took over the land of King Sihon of Heshbon and the land of King Og of Bashan.You made their descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and brought them into the land you had promised to their ancestors.“ They went in and took possession of the land. You subdued whole nations before them. Even the Canaanites, who inhabited the land, were powerless! Your people could deal with these nations and their kings as they pleased.Our ancestors captured fortified cities and fertile land. They took over houses full of good things, with cisterns already dug and vineyards and olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate until they were full and grew fat and enjoyed themselves in all your blessings.“ But despite all this, they were disobedient and rebelled against you. They turned their backs on your Law, they killed your prophets who warned them to return to you, and they committed terrible blasphemies.So you handed them over to their enemies, who made them suffer. But in their time of trouble they cried to you, and you heard them from heaven. In your great mercy, you sent them liberators who rescued them from their enemies.“ But as soon as they were at peace, your people again committed evil in your sight, and once more you let their enemies conquer them. Yet whenever your people turned and cried to you again for help, you listened once more from heaven. In your wonderful mercy, you rescued them many times!“ You warned them to return to your Law, but they became proud and obstinate and disobeyed your commands. They did not follow your regulations, by which people will find life if only they obey. They stubbornly turned their backs on you and refused to listen.In your love, you were patient with them for many years. You sent your Spirit, who warned them through the prophets. But still they wouldn’t listen! So once again you allowed the peoples of the land to conquer them.But in your great mercy, you did not destroy them completely or abandon them forever. What a gracious and merciful God you are!“ And now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of unfailing love, do not let all the hardships we have suffered seem insignificant to you. Great trouble has come upon us and upon our kings and leaders and priests and prophets and ancestors— all of your people— from the days when the kings of Assyria first triumphed over us until now.Every time you punished us you were being just. We have sinned greatly, and you gave us only what we deserved.Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors did not obey your Law or listen to the warnings in your commands and laws.Even while they had their own kingdom, they did not serve you, though you showered your goodness on them. You gave them a large, fertile land, but they refused to turn from their wickedness.“ So now today we are slaves in the land of plenty that you gave our ancestors for their enjoyment! We are slaves here in this good land.The lush produce of this land piles up in the hands of the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. They have power over us and our livestock. We serve them at their pleasure, and we are in great misery.”The people responded,“ In view of all this, we are making a solemn promise and putting it in writing. On this sealed document are the names of our leaders and Levites and priests.”

‘ We played wedding songs, and you didn’t dance, so we played funeral songs, and you didn’t mourn.’