Is it a fast like this that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it for bowing one’s head like a reed And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the Lord?

这样禁食岂是我所拣选、使人刻苦己心的日子吗？岂是叫人垂头像苇子，用麻布和炉灰铺在他以下吗？你这可称为禁食、为耶和华所悦纳的日子吗？

这岂是我所要的禁食，为人所用以刻苦己心的日子吗？我难道只是叫人如芦苇般低头，铺上麻布和灰烬吗？你能称此为禁食，为耶和华所悦纳的日子吗？

这岂是我所要的禁食，为人所用以刻苦己心的日子吗？我难道只是叫人如芦苇般低头，铺上麻布和灰烬吗？你能称此为禁食，为耶和华所悦纳的日子吗？

难道这是我要的禁食吗？难道刻苦己身、像芦苇一样垂着头、躺在麻布和炉灰上就是禁食吗？这就是你们所谓的禁食，所谓的蒙耶和华悦纳的日子吗？

使人刻苦自己的日子，这样的禁食是我拣选的吗？难道只是叫人垂头像一根苇子，用麻布和炉灰铺在下面吗？你可以称这是禁食，为耶和华所悦纳的日子吗？

难道这就是我所喜悦的禁食，这就是让人刻苦己心的日子吗？难道是让人像芦苇一样垂着头，以麻布和灰烬为铺吗？难道这就是你所谓的禁食，这就是耶和华所悦纳的日子吗？

這樣禁食豈是我所揀選、使人刻苦己心的日子嗎？豈是叫人垂頭像葦子，用麻布和爐灰鋪在他以下嗎？你這可稱為禁食、為耶和華所悅納的日子嗎？

這豈是我所要的禁食，為人所用以刻苦己心的日子嗎？我難道只是叫人如蘆葦般低頭，鋪上麻布和灰燼嗎？你能稱此為禁食，為耶和華所悅納的日子嗎？

這豈是我所要的禁食，為人所用以刻苦己心的日子嗎？我難道只是叫人如蘆葦般低頭，鋪上麻布和灰燼嗎？你能稱此為禁食，為耶和華所悅納的日子嗎？

難道這是我要的禁食嗎？難道刻苦己身、像蘆葦一樣垂著頭、躺在麻布和爐灰上就是禁食嗎？這就是你們所謂的禁食，所謂的蒙耶和華悅納的日子嗎？

使人刻苦自己的日子，這樣的禁食是我揀選的嗎？難道只是叫人垂頭像一根葦子，用麻布和爐灰鋪在下面嗎？你可以稱這是禁食，為耶和華所悅納的日子嗎？

我所選擇、使人刻苦自己的日子難道是這樣的禁食麼？難道只是叫人垂頭像燈心草，拿麻布和爐灰當床鋪麼？難道你要把這樣叫做禁食，作為使永恆主悅納的日子麼？我所選擇的真禁食豈不是以下這些行為：

難道這就是我所喜悅的禁食，這就是讓人刻苦己心的日子嗎？難道是讓人像蘆葦一樣垂著頭，以麻布和灰燼為鋪嗎？難道這就是你所謂的禁食，這就是耶和華所悅納的日子嗎？

我所選禁食之日、豈如是乎、令人苦其心志、俯首若蘆、以麻與灰、布於身下、此豈稱為禁食、為耶和華所悅納之日乎、

爾禁食之時、卑以自牧、屈抑若蘆、身衣麻布、坐於塗炭、我耶和華豈悅此乎。

人自刻苦、垂頭如葦、以麻布塵埃為床、如是禁食之日、豈我所悅乎、爾豈可稱為禁食乎、可視為主所悅之日乎、

Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?

Do you think that is the way I want you to fast? Is it only a time for people to make themselves suffer? Is it only for people to bow their heads like tall grass bent by the wind? Is it only for people to lie down in ashes and clothes of mourning? Is that what you call a fast? Do you think I can accept that?

Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord?

You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the Lord?

Will the fast I choose be like this: A day for a person to deny himself, to bow his head like a reed, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast and a day acceptable to the LORD?

Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the Lord?

Is such the fast that I have chosen? the day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a rush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to Jehovah?

Will the fast I choose be like this: A day for a person to deny himself, to bow his head like a reed, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast and a day acceptable to the Lord?

Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul?[ is it] to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes[ under him]? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?

Is this really the kind of fasting I want? Do I want a day when people merely humble themselves, bowing their heads like a reed and stretching out on sackcloth and ashes? Is this really what you call a fast, a day that is pleasing to the LORD?

Is this the fast that I have chosen? A day for a man to humble his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under himself? Will you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to Yahweh?

“ Say to all the people of the land and to the priests,‘ When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted?

To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,

This is what the Lord says:“ At a favorable time I answered You, And on a day of salvation I helped You; And I will watch over You and make You a covenant of the people, To restore the land, to give as inheritances the deserted hereditary lands;

So I gave my attention to the Lord God, to seek Him by prayer and pleading, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed, and said,“ Oh, Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and faithfulness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,we have sinned, we have done wrong, and acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances.Moreover, we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our leaders, our fathers, and all the people of the land.“ Righteousness belongs to You, Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this day— to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You.Open shame belongs to us, Lord, to our kings, our leaders, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, because we have rebelled against Him;and we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His teachings which He set before us through His servants the prophets.Indeed, all Israel has violated Your Law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the curse has gushed forth on us, along with the oath which is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him.So He has confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great disaster; for under the entire heaven there has not been done anything like what was done in Jerusalem.Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us; yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our wrongdoing and giving attention to Your truth.So the Lord has kept the disaster in store and brought it on us; for the Lord our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice.“ And now, Lord, our God, You who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and made a name for Yourself, as it is this day— we have sinned, we have been wicked.Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous acts, let now Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the wrongdoings of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become an object of taunting to all those around us.So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his pleas, and for Your sake, Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary.My God, incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our pleas before You based on any merits of our own, but based on Your great compassion.Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

“ This shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble yourselves and not do any work, whether the native, or the stranger who resides among you;

But as for me, my prayer is to You, Lord, at an acceptable time; God, in the greatness of Your mercy, Answer me with Your saving truth.

To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

And Job took a piece of pottery to scrape himself while he was sitting in the ashes.

“ Go, gather all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants also will fast in the same way. And then I will go in to the king, which is not in accordance with the law; and if I perish, I perish.”

Now on the twenty fourth day of this month the sons of Israel assembled with fasting, in sackcloth and with dirt upon them.The descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the wrongdoings of their fathers.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

When the king heard the woman’s words, he tore his clothes— and he was passing by on the wall— and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth underneath on his body.

Then Ezra rose from before the house of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. Although he went there, he did not eat bread nor drink water, because he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord; and he proclaimed a period of fasting throughout Judah.

Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, removed his robe from himself, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat on the dust.And he issued a proclamation, and it said,“ In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: No person, animal, herd, or flock is to taste anything. They are not to eat, or drink water.But every person and animal must be covered with sackcloth; and people are to call on God vehemently, and they are to turn, each one from his evil way, and from the violence which is in their hands.

In each and every province where the command and decree of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and mourning rites; and many had sackcloth and ashes spread out as a bed.

‘ Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’ Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, And oppress all your workers.

Yet it came about, when Ahab heard these words, that he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and fasted, and he lay in sackcloth and went about despondently.Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,“ Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; I will bring the disaster upon his house in his son’s days.”