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?

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?

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 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 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?

“ 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?

to announce the year when the LORD will show his favor, the day when our God will seek vengeance, to console all who mourn,

This is what the LORD says:“ At the time I decide to show my favor, I will respond to you; in the day of deliverance I will help you; I will protect you and make you a covenant mediator for people, to rebuild the land and to reassign the desolate property.

So I turned my attention to the Lord God to implore him by prayer and requests, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.I prayed to the LORD my God, confessing in this way:“ O Lord, great and awesome God who is faithful to his covenant with those who love him and keep his commandments,we have sinned! We have done what is wrong and wicked; we have rebelled by turning away from your commandments and standards.We have not paid attention to your servants the prophets, who spoke by your authority to our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors, and to all the inhabitants of the land as well.“ You are righteous, O Lord, but we are humiliated this day– the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far away in all the countries in which you have scattered them, because they have behaved unfaithfully toward you.O LORD, we have been humiliated– our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors– because we have sinned against you.Yet the Lord our God is compassionate and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.We have not obeyed the LORD our God by living according to his laws that he set before us through his servants the prophets.“ All Israel has broken your law and turned away by not obeying you. Therefore you have poured out on us the judgment solemnly threatened in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against you.He has carried out his threats against us and our rulers who were over us by bringing great calamity on us– what has happened to Jerusalem has never been equaled under all heaven!Just as it is written in the law of Moses, so all this calamity has come on us. Still we have not tried to pacify the LORD our God by turning back from our sin and by seeking wisdom from your reliable moral standards.The LORD was mindful of the calamity, and he brought it on us. For the LORD our God is just in all he has done, and we have not obeyed him.“ Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with great power and made a name for yourself that is remembered to this day– we have sinned and behaved wickedly.O Lord, according to all your justice, please turn your raging anger away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. For due to our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people are mocked by all our neighbors.“ So now, our God, accept the prayer and requests of your servant, and show favor to your devastated sanctuary for your own sake.Listen attentively, my God, and hear! Open your eyes and look on our desolated ruins and the city called by your name. For it is not because of our own righteous deeds that we are praying to you, but because your compassion is abundant.O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, pay attention, and act! Don’t delay, for your own sake, O my God! For your city and your people are called by your name.”

“ This is to be a perpetual statute for you. In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you must humble yourselves and do no work of any kind, both the native citizen and the foreigner who resides in your midst,

O LORD, may you hear my prayer and be favorably disposed to me! O God, because of your great loyal love, answer me with your faithful deliverance!

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

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

Job took a shard of broken pottery to scrape himself with while he was sitting among the ashes.

“ Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa and fast in my behalf. Don’t eat and don’t drink for three days, night or day. My female attendants and I will also fast in the same way. Afterward I will go to the king, even though it violates the law. If I perish, I perish!”

On the twenty-fourth day of this same month the Israelites assembled; they were fasting and wearing sackcloth, their heads covered with dust.Those truly of Israelite descent separated from all the foreigners, standing and confessing their sins and the iniquities of their ancestors.

Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God– what is good and well- pleasing and perfect.

When the king heard what the woman said, he tore his clothes. As he was passing by on the wall, the people could see he was wearing sackcloth under his clothes.

Then Ezra got up from in front of the temple of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he stayed there, he did not eat food or drink water, for he was in mourning over the infidelity of the exiles.

Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he decided to seek the LORD’s advice. He decreed that all Judah should observe a fast.

The people of Nineveh believed in God, and they declared a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth, and sat on ashes.He issued a proclamation and said,“ In Nineveh, by the decree of the king and his nobles: No human or animal, cattle or sheep, is to taste anything; they must not eat and they must not drink water.Every person and animal must put on sackcloth and must cry earnestly to God, and everyone must turn from their evil way of living and from the violence that they do.

Throughout each and every province where the king’s edict and law were announced there was considerable mourning among the Jews, along with fasting, weeping, and sorrow. Sackcloth and ashes were characteristic of many.

They lament,‘ Why don’t you notice when we fast? Why don’t you pay attention when we humble ourselves?’ Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires, you oppress your workers.

When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He slept in sackcloth and walked around dejected.The LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite,“ Have you noticed how Ahab shows remorse before me? Because he shows remorse before me, I will not bring disaster on his dynasty during his lifetime, but during the reign of his son.”