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?

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?

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?

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?

“ 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?

to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance; to comfort all who mourn,

This is what the LORD says: I will answer you in a time of favor, and I will help you in the day of salvation. I will keep you, and I will appoint you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land, to make them possess the desolate inheritances,

So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek him by prayer and petitions, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: Ah, Lord— the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant with those who love him and keep his commands—we have sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled, and turned away from your commands and ordinances.We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, leaders, ancestors, and all the people of the land.Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but this day public shame belongs to us: the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and all Israel— those who are near and those who are far, in all the countries where you have banished them because of the disloyalty they have shown toward you.LORD, public shame belongs to us, our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors, because we have sinned against you.Compassion and forgiveness belong to the Lord our God, though we have rebelled against himand have not obeyed the LORD our God by following his instructions that he set before us through his servants the prophets.All Israel has broken your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. The promised curse written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, has been poured out on us because we have sinned against him.He has carried out his words that he spoke against us and against our rulers by bringing on us a disaster that is so great that nothing like what has been done to Jerusalem has ever been done under all of heaven.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 iniquities and paying attention to your truth.So the LORD kept the disaster in mind and brought it on us, for the LORD our God is righteous in all he has done. But we have not obeyed him.Now, Lord our God— who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand and made your name renowned as it is this day— we have sinned, we have acted wickedly.Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, may your anger and wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people have become an object of ridicule to all those around us.Therefore, our God, hear the prayer and the petitions of your servant. Make your face shine on your desolate sanctuary for the Lord’s sake.Listen closely, my God, and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations and the city that bears your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before you based on our righteous acts, but based on your abundant compassion.Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and act! My God, for your own sake, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your name.

“ This is to be a permanent statute for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month you are to practice self-denial and do no work, both the native and the alien who resides among you.

But as for me, LORD, my prayer to you is for a time of favor. In your abundant, faithful love, God, answer me with your sure salvation.

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Then Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself while he sat among the ashes.

“ Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa and fast for me. Don’t eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my female servants will also fast in the same way. After that, I will go to the king even if it is against the law. If I perish, I perish.”

On the twenty-fourth day of this month the Israelites assembled; they were fasting, wearing sackcloth, and had put dust on their heads.Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their ancestors.

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

When the king heard the woman’s words, he tore his clothes. Then, as he was passing by on the wall, the people saw that there was sackcloth under his clothes next to his skin.

Ezra then went from the house of God and walked to the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib, where he spent the night. He did not eat food or drink water, because he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

Jehoshaphat was afraid, and he resolved to seek the LORD. Then he proclaimed a fast for all Judah,

Then the people of Nineveh believed God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth— from the greatest of them to the least.When word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.Then he issued a decree in Nineveh: By order of the king and his nobles: No person or animal, herd or flock, is to taste anything at all. They must not eat or drink water.Furthermore, both people and animals must be covered with sackcloth, and everyone must call out earnestly to God. Each must turn from his evil ways and from his wrongdoing.

There was great mourning among the Jewish people in every province where the king’s command and edict reached. They fasted, wept, and lamented, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

“ Why have we fasted, but you have not seen? We have denied ourselves, but you haven’t noticed!”“ Look, you do as you please on the day of your fast, and oppress all your workers.

When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put sackcloth over his body, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth and walked around subdued.Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite:“ Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? I will not bring the disaster during his lifetime, because he has humbled himself before me. I will bring the disaster on his house during his son’s lifetime.”