“ 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?

“你要宣告国内的众民和祭司，说：‘你们这七十年，在五月、七月禁食悲哀，岂是丝毫向我禁食吗？

“你要向这地全体百姓和祭司说：‘你们这七十年来，在五月、七月禁食悲哀，岂是真的向我禁食吗？

“你要向这地全体百姓和祭司说：‘你们这七十年来，在五月、七月禁食悲哀，岂是真的向我禁食吗？

“你要对境内的民众和祭司说，‘七十年来，你们在五月和七月禁食、哀伤，难道真的是为了我吗？

“你要告诉这地的人民和祭司说：‘这七十年来，你们在五月和七月禁食哀哭，岂是真的为我禁食呢？

「你要宣告國內的眾民和祭司，說：『你們這七十年，在五月、七月禁食悲哀，豈是絲毫向我禁食嗎？

「你要向這地全體百姓和祭司說：『你們這七十年來，在五月、七月禁食悲哀，豈是真的向我禁食嗎？

「你要向這地全體百姓和祭司說：『你們這七十年來，在五月、七月禁食悲哀，豈是真的向我禁食嗎？

「你要對境內的民眾和祭司說，『七十年來，你們在五月和七月禁食、哀傷，難道真的是為了我嗎？

“你要告訴這地的人民和祭司說：‘這七十年來，你們在五月和七月禁食哀哭，豈是真的為我禁食呢？

『你要告訴國中的眾民和祭司說：你們這七十年在五月間和七月間禁食和舉哀，哪裏真是向我而禁食呢？

「你要對這地所有的民眾和祭司說：『這七十年來，你們在五月和七月禁食、哀哭，是真的為我禁食嗎？

其告斯土之民、及諸祭司曰、爾於五月七月、禁食哭泣、歷七十年、豈為我禁食乎、

云、爾歷七十年、五月七月間、禁食哭泣、豈為我乎、

當告國民與祭司曰、爾歷七十年、五月七月間、禁食哭泣、豈為我禁食乎、

“ Ask all the people of the land and the priests,‘ When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted?

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

“ 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?

“ Ask all the people of the land and the priests: When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and in the seventh months for these seventy years, did you really fast for me?

“ 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?

“ Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests:‘ When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me— for Me?

Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month, even these seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?

“ Ask all the people of the land and the priests: When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and in the seventh months for these 70 years, did you really fast for Me?

Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh[ month], even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me,[ even] to me?

“ Speak to all the people and priests of the land as follows:‘ When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and seventh months through all these seventy years, did you truly fast for me– for me, indeed?

“ Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying,‘ When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month for these seventy years, did you at all fast to me, really to me?

Then the angel of the Lord spoke up. He said,“ Lord, you rule over all. How long will you keep from showing your tender love to Jerusalem? How long will you keep it from the towns of Judah? You have been angry with them for 70 years.”

God’s kingdom is not about eating or drinking. It is about doing what is right and having peace and joy. All this comes through the Holy Spirit.Those who serve Christ in this way are pleasing to God. They are pleasing to people too.

So eat and drink and do everything else for the glory of God.

“ Do you think I need any more of your sacrifices?” asks the Lord.“ I have more than enough of your burnt offerings. I have more than enough of rams and the fat of your fattest animals. I do not find any pleasure in the blood of your bulls, lambs and goats.Who asked you to bring all these animals when you come to worship me? Who asked you and your animals to walk all over my courtyards?

When you fast, it ends in arguing and fighting. You hit one another with your fists. That is an evil thing to do. The way you are now fasting keeps your prayers from being heard in heaven.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?“ Here is the way I want you to fast.“ Set free those who are held by chains without any reason. Untie the ropes that hold people as slaves. Set free those who are crushed. Break every evil chain.

Whoever thinks that one day is special does so to honor the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to honor the Lord. They give thanks to God. And whoever doesn’t eat meat does so to honor the Lord. They also give thanks to God.We don’t live for ourselves only. And we don’t die for ourselves only.If we live, we live to honor the Lord. If we die, we die to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.Christ died and came back to life. He did this to become the Lord of both the dead and the living.

They went to the prophets and priests at the Lord’ s temple. They asked them,“ Should we mourn and go without eating in the fifth month? That’s what we’ve done for many years.”

“ When you give to needy people, do not announce it by having trumpets blown. Do not be like those who only pretend to be holy. They announce what they do in the synagogues and on the streets. They want to be honored by other people. What I’m about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward.

All of Judah’s army officers and their men heard about what had happened. They heard that the king had appointed Gedaliah as governor. So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, came. So did Johanan, the son of Kareah. Seraiah, the son of Tanhumeth, also came. And so did Jaazaniah, the son of the Maakathite. All their men came too. Seraiah was from Netophah.

This whole country will become dry and empty. And these nations will serve the king of Babylon for 70 years.

“ When you pray, do not be like those who only pretend to be holy. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners. They want to be seen by other people. What I’m about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward.

“ 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.”

“ Everything they do is done for others to see. On their foreheads and arms they wear little boxes that hold Scripture verses. They make the boxes very wide. And they make the tassels on their coats very long.

Work at everything you do with all your heart. Work as if you were working for the Lord, not for human masters.

In the same way, let your light shine so others can see it. Then they will see the good things you do. And they will bring glory to your Father who is in heaven.“ Do not think I have come to get rid of what is written in the Law or in the Prophets. I have not come to do this. Instead, I have come to fulfill what is written.What I’m about to tell you is true. Heaven and earth will disappear before the smallest letter disappears from the Law. Not even the smallest mark of a pen will disappear from the Law until everything is completed.

And when you were eating and drinking, weren’t you just enjoying good food for yourselves?

“ When you go without eating, do not look gloomy like those who only pretend to be holy. They make their faces look very sad. They want to show people they are fasting. What I’m about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward.

Christ died for everyone. He died so that those who live should not live for themselves anymore. They should live for Christ. He died for them and was raised again.

In the seventh month Ishmael came with ten men to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah. Ishmael was the son of Nethaniah. Nethaniah was the son of Elishama. Ishmael was a member of the royal family. He had been one of the king’s officers. Ishmael and his ten men were eating together at Mizpah.They got up and struck down Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, with their swords. They killed him even though the king of Babylon had appointed him as governor over Judah. Ahikam was the son of Shaphan.Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah. And he killed the Babylonian soldiers who were there.On the next day, people still hadn’t found out that Gedaliah had been murdered.