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.”

并问万军之耶和华殿中的祭司和先知说：“我历年以来，在五月间哭泣斋戒，现在还当这样行吗？”

问万军之耶和华殿中的祭司，又问先知：“我当如历年以来所行，在五月哭泣斋戒吗？”

问万军之耶和华殿中的祭司，又问先知：“我当如历年以来所行，在五月哭泣斋戒吗？”

他们问万军之耶和华殿里的祭司和先知：“我们还要照多年的惯例在五月哀伤、禁食吗？”

他们询问万军之耶和华殿里的众祭司，以及众先知说：“我们还要在五月哭泣和禁食，像我们这许多年来所行的吗？”

並問萬軍之耶和華殿中的祭司和先知說：「我歷年以來，在五月間哭泣齋戒，現在還當這樣行嗎？」

問萬軍之耶和華殿中的祭司，又問先知：「我當如歷年以來所行，在五月哭泣齋戒嗎？」

問萬軍之耶和華殿中的祭司，又問先知：「我當如歷年以來所行，在五月哭泣齋戒嗎？」

他們問萬軍之耶和華殿裡的祭司和先知：「我們還要照多年的慣例在五月哀傷、禁食嗎？」

他們詢問萬軍之耶和華殿裡的眾祭司，以及眾先知說：“我們還要在五月哭泣和禁食，像我們這許多年來所行的嗎？”

請教於萬軍之永恆主殿中的祭司們和神言人們說：『我們是不是還要在五月間守着哀哭和離俗禮，像我們歷年來所行的呢？』

問萬軍之耶和華殿中的祭司們和先知們說：「我們還要像這許多年來所做的那樣，在五月哭泣、禁食嗎？」

謂萬軍之耶和華室中之祭司、與先知曰、我於五月間、仍當哭泣齋戒、循我歷年所行乎、

萬有之主耶和華殿中、有祭司先知、則問之曰、我歷年以來、於五月間離世故、哀痛迫切、今當復遵此例否、

並問諸祭司在萬有之主殿中者、及諸先知曰、我歷年以來、在五月間、號哭齋戒、齋戒或作離俗今猶當循此以行否、

by asking the priests of the house of the Lord Almighty and the prophets,“ Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?”

saying to the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts and the prophets,“ Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?”

They were to ask this question of the prophets and the priests at the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies:“ Should we continue to mourn and fast each summer on the anniversary of the Temple’s destruction, as we have done for so many years?”

by asking the priests who were at the house of the LORD of Armies as well as the prophets,“ Should we mourn and fast in the fifth month as we have done these many years?”

speaking to the priests who belong to the house of the Lord of armies, and to the prophets, saying,“ Shall I weep in the fifth month and fast, as I have done these many years?”

and to ask the priests who were in the house of the Lord of hosts, and the prophets, saying,“ Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?”

and to speak unto the priests of the house of Jehovah of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?

by asking the priests who were at the house of the Lord of Hosts as well as the prophets,“ Should we mourn and fast in the fifth month as we have done these many years?”

[ And] to speak unto the priests which[ were] in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?

by asking both the priests of the temple of the LORD WHO RULES OVER ALL and the prophets,“ Should we weep in the fifth month, fasting as we have done over the years?”

and to speak to the priests of the house of Yahweh of Armies, and to the prophets, saying,“ Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?”

“ 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 lips of a priest should guard knowledge. After all, he is the messenger of the Lord who rules over all. And people seek instruction from his mouth.

Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners. Make your hearts pure, you who can’t make up your minds.Be full of sorrow. Cry and weep. Change your laughter to mourning. Change your joy to sadness.Be humble in front of the Lord. And he will lift you up.

Nebuzaradan was an official of the king of Babylon. In fact, he was commander of the royal guard. He came to Jerusalem. It was in the 19th year that Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon. It was on the seventh day of the fifth month.Nebuzaradan set the Lord’ s temple on fire. He also set fire to the royal palace and all the houses in Jerusalem. He burned down every important building.

Nebuzaradan served the king of Babylon. In fact, he was commander of the royal guard. He came to Jerusalem. It was in the 19th year that Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon. It was on the tenth day of the fifth month.Nebuzaradan set the Lord’ s temple on fire. He also set fire to the royal palace and all the houses in Jerusalem. He burned down every important building.The armies of Babylon broke down all the walls around Jerusalem. That’s what the commander told them to do.

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?’ ”

You shouldn’t stop giving yourselves to each other. You might possibly do this when you both agree to it. And you should only agree to it to give yourselves time to pray. Then you should come together again. In that way, Satan will not tempt you when you can’t control yourselves.

Go to a priest, who is a Levite. And go to the judge who is in office at that time. Ask them for their decision. They will give it to you.They’ll hand down their decisions at the place the Lord will choose. You must do what they decide. Be careful to do everything they tell you to do.Act according to whatever they teach you. Accept the decisions they give you. Don’t turn away from what they tell you. Don’t turn to the right or the left.

“ 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?

Everyone in the land will mourn. Each family will mourn by themselves and their wives by themselves. That will include the family lines of David, Nathan,Levi, Shimei andall the others.

The Lord who rules over all called out to you at that time. The Lord told you to weep and cry. He told you to tear your hair out. And he told you to put on the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad.Instead, you are enjoying yourselves at wild parties! You are killing cattle and sheep. You are eating their meat and drinking wine. You are saying,“ Let’s eat and drink, because tomorrow we’ll die.”

Nehemiah was the governor. Ezra was a priest and the teacher of the Law. They spoke up. So did the Levites who were teaching the people. All these men said to the people,“ This day is set apart to honor the Lord your God. So don’t weep. Don’t be sad.” All the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.Nehemiah said,“ Go and enjoy some good food and sweet drinks. Send some of it to people who don’t have any. This day is holy to our Lord. So don’t be sad. The joy of the Lord makes you strong.”The Levites calmed all the people down. They said,“ Be quiet. This is a holy day. So don’t be sad.”

The Lord who rules over all speaks. He says,“ Ask the priests what the law says.

Jesus answered,“ How can the guests of the groom be sad while he is with them? The time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast.

There is a time to weep. And there’s a time to laugh. There is a time to be sad. And there’s a time to dance.

The priests must teach my people the difference between what is holy and what is not. They must show them how to tell the difference between what is‘ clean’ and what is not.“ When people do not agree, the priests must serve as judges between them. They must make their decisions based on my laws. They must obey my laws and rules for all my appointed feasts. And they must keep my Sabbath days holy.

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.The Israelites separated themselves from everyone else. They stood and admitted they had sinned. They also admitted that their people before them had sinned.They stood where they were. They listened while the Levites read parts of the Book of the Law of the Lord their God. They listened for a fourth of the day. They spent another fourth of the day admitting their sins. They also worshiped the Lord their God.

He teaches your rules to the people of Jacob. He teaches your law to Israel. He offers incense to you. He sacrifices whole burnt offerings on your altar.

My people are destroyed because they do not know me.“ You priests have refused to obey me. So I will refuse to accept you as my priests. You have not paid any attention to my law. So I will not let your children be my priests.