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.

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.

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.

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.

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 terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting.

The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow.

“ Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.”

It was late autumn, and the king was in a winterized part of the palace, sitting in front of a fire to keep warm.

“ Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Shout aloud! Don’t be timid. Tell my people Israel of their sins!Yet they act so pious! They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about me. They act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God. They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me.‘ We have fasted before you!’ they say.‘ Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’“ I will tell you why!” I respond.“ It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers.

“ Say to all your people and your priests,‘ During these seventy years of exile, when you fasted and mourned in the summer and in early autumn, was it really for me that you were fasting?And even now in your holy festivals, aren’t you eating and drinking just to please yourselves?

That is why the Lord says,“ Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve, sending you a blessing instead of this curse. Perhaps you will be able to offer grain and wine to the Lord your God as before.Blow the ram’s horn in Jerusalem! Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting.Gather all the people— the elders, the children, and even the babies. Call the bridegroom from his quarters and the bride from her private room.Let the priests, who minister in the Lord’s presence, stand and weep between the entry room to the Temple and the altar. Let them pray,“ Spare your people, Lord! Don’t let your special possession become an object of mockery. Don’t let them become a joke for unbelieving foreigners who say,‘ Has the God of Israel left them?’”

During the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king in Judah, the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah:

“ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: The traditional fasts and times of mourning you have kept in early summer, midsummer, autumn, and winter are now ended. They will become festivals of joy and celebration for the people of Judah. So love truth and peace.

“ Be careful to celebrate the Day of Atonement on the tenth day of that same month— nine days after the Festival of Trumpets. You must observe it as an official day for holy assembly, a day to deny yourselves and present special gifts to the Lord.

On October 31 the people assembled again, and this time they fasted and dressed in burlap and sprinkled dust on their heads.

Dress yourselves in burlap and weep, you priests! Wail, you who serve before the altar! Come, spend the night in burlap, you ministers of my God. For there is no grain or wine to offer at the Temple of your God.