It was in the fifth year that Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, was king of Judah. It was the ninth month of that year. A time of fasting at the Lord’ s temple had been ordered. All the people in Jerusalem were told to take part in it. So were those who had come in from the towns of Judah.

犹大王约西亚的儿子约雅敬第五年九月，耶路撒冷的众民和那从犹大城邑来到耶路撒冷的众民，在耶和华面前宣告禁食的日子，

约西亚的儿子犹大王约雅敬第五年九月，耶路撒冷的众百姓和那从犹大城镇前来耶路撒冷的众百姓，在耶和华面前宣告禁食，

约西亚的儿子犹大王约雅敬第五年九月，耶路撒冷的众百姓和那从犹大城镇前来耶路撒冷的众百姓，在耶和华面前宣告禁食，

犹大王约西亚的儿子约雅敬执政第五年九月，耶路撒冷和犹大各城的人都在耶和华面前宣告禁食。

犹大王约西亚的儿子约雅敬第五年九月，耶路撒冷的众民，和所有从犹大各城来到耶路撒冷的人民，都在耶和华面前宣告禁食。

猶大王約西亞的兒子約雅敬第五年九月，耶路撒冷的眾民和那從猶大城邑來到耶路撒冷的眾民，在耶和華面前宣告禁食的日子，

約西亞的兒子猶大王約雅敬第五年九月，耶路撒冷的眾百姓和那從猶大城鎮前來耶路撒冷的眾百姓，在耶和華面前宣告禁食，

約西亞的兒子猶大王約雅敬第五年九月，耶路撒冷的眾百姓和那從猶大城鎮前來耶路撒冷的眾百姓，在耶和華面前宣告禁食，

猶大王約西亞的兒子約雅敬執政第五年九月，耶路撒冷和猶大各城的人都在耶和華面前宣告禁食。

猶大王約西亞的兒子約雅敬第五年九月，耶路撒冷的眾民，和所有從猶大各城來到耶路撒冷的人民，都在耶和華面前宣告禁食。

猶大王約西亞的兒子約雅敬五年、九月、耶路撒冷的眾人、和那些從猶大城市來到耶路撒冷的人、在永恆主面前宣告禁食。

猶大王約西亞子約雅敬五年九月、耶路撒冷居民、及自猶大諸邑、至耶路撒冷之眾、宣告禁食於耶和華前、

猶大王約西亞子約雅金五年、九月、耶路撒冷居民、及來自猶大諸邑、至耶路撒冷者、播告於眾、當在耶和華前禁食。

猶大王約西亞子約雅敬五年九月、耶路撒冷眾民、及自猶大諸邑來至耶路撒冷之眾民、宣告禁食之日於主前、

In the ninth month of the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, a time of fasting before the Lord was proclaimed for all the people in Jerusalem and those who had come from the towns of Judah.

In the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before the Lord.

He did this on a day of sacred fasting held in late autumn, during the fifth year of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah. People from all over Judah had come to Jerusalem to attend the services at the Temple on that day.

In the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, all the people of Jerusalem and all those coming in from Judah’s cities into Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before the LORD.

Now in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before the Lord.

Now it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a fast before the Lord to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem.

Now it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, that all the people in Jerusalem, and all the people that came from the cities of Judah unto Jerusalem, proclaimed a fast before Jehovah.

In the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, all the people of Jerusalem and all those coming in from Judah’s cities into Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before the Lord.

And it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, in the ninth month,[ that] they proclaimed a fast before the LORD to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people that came from the cities of Judah unto Jerusalem.

All the people living in Jerusalem and all the people who came into Jerusalem from the towns of Judah came to observe a fast before the LORD. The fast took place in the ninth month of the fifth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was ruling over Judah.

Now in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem, and all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem, proclaimed a fast before Yahweh.

Jehoshaphat was alarmed. So he decided to ask the Lord for advice. He told all the people of Judah to go without eating.

The people of Nineveh believed God’s warning. So they decided not to eat any food for a while. And all of them put on the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad. That’s what everyone did, from the least important of them to the most important.

“ Go. Gather together all the Jews who are in Susa. And fast for my benefit. Don’t eat or drink anything for three days. Don’t do it night or day. I and my attendants will fast just as you do. Then I’ll go to the king. I’ll do it even though it’s against the law. And if I have to die, I’ll die.”

It was the ninth month. The king was sitting in his winter apartment. A fire was burning in the fire pot in front of him.

The Lord told me,“ Shout out loud. Do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Tell my people that they have refused to obey me. Tell the family of Jacob how much they have sinned.Day after day they worship me. They seem ready and willing to know how I want them to live. They act as if they were a nation that does what is right. They act as if they have not turned away from my commands. They claim to want me to give them fair decisions. They seem ready and willing to come near and worship me.‘ We have gone without food,’ they say.‘ Why haven’t you noticed it? We have made ourselves suffer. Why haven’t you paid any attention to us?’“ On the day when you fast, you do as you please. You take advantage of all your workers.

“ Ask the priests and all the people in the land a question for me. Say to them,‘ You mourned and fasted in the fifth and seventh months. You did it for the past 70 years. But did you really do it for me?And when you were eating and drinking, weren’t you just enjoying good food for yourselves?

The Lord announces to his people,“ Return to me with all your heart. There is still time. Do not eat any food. Weep and mourn.”Don’t just tear your clothes to show how sad you are. Let your hearts be broken. Return to the Lord your God. He is gracious. He is tender and kind. He is slow to get angry. He is full of love. He won’t bring his judgment. He won’t destroy you.Who knows? He might turn toward you and not bring his judgment. He might even give you his blessing. Then you can bring grain offerings and drink offerings to the Lord your God.Priests, blow the trumpets in Zion. Announce a holy fast. Tell the people not to eat anything. Gather them together for a special service.Bring them together. Set all of them apart to me. Bring together the elders. Gather the children and the babies who are still nursing. Let the groom leave his bedroom. Let the bride leave their marriage bed.Let the priests who serve the Lord weep. Let them cry between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say,“ Lord, spare your people. Don’t let others make fun of them. Don’t let the nations laugh at them. Don’t let them tease your people and say,‘ Where is their God?’ ”

A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah. It came in the fourth year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah. He was the son of Josiah. The message said,

“ You have established special times to go without eating. They are your fasts in the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months. They will become days of joy. They will be happy times for Judah. It will happen if you take delight in telling the truth and bringing about peace.”

“ The tenth day of the seventh month is the day when sin is paid for. Come together for a special service. Do not eat any food. Bring a food offering to the Lord.

It was the 24th day of the seventh month. The Israelites gathered together again. They didn’t eat any food. They wore the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad. They put dust on their heads.

Priests, put on the clothing of sadness and mourn. Cry, you who serve at the altar. Come, you who serve my God in the temple. Spend the night dressed in the clothes of sadness. Weep because no one brings grain offerings and drink offerings to the house of your God anymore.