Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face (A)to seek the Lord, and (B)proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

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Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast(A) for all Judah.

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Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by (A)prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

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So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting,(A) and in sackcloth and ashes.(B)

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Nevertheless, (A)some good is found in you, for (B)you destroyed the Asheroth out of the land, and have (C)set your heart to seek God.”

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There is, however, some good(A) in you, for you have rid the land of the Asherah poles(B) and have set your heart on seeking God.(C)

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Return to the Lord

12 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
    (A)“return to me with all your heart,
(B)with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13     and (C)rend your hearts and not (D)your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
    (E)for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
    (F)and he relents over disaster.
14 (G)Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
    and (H)leave a blessing behind him,
(I)a grain offering and a drink offering
    for the Lord your God?

15 (J)Blow the trumpet in Zion;
    (K)consecrate a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
16     gather the people.
(L)Consecrate the congregation;
    assemble the elders;
(M)gather the children,
    even nursing infants.
(N)Let the bridegroom leave his room,
    and the bride her chamber.

17 (O)Between the (P)vestibule and the (Q)altar
    (R)let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep
and say, “Spare your people, O Lord,
    and make not your heritage a reproach,
    a byword among the nations.[a]
(S)Why should they say among the peoples,
    ‘Where is their God?’”

The Lord Had Pity

18 (T)Then the Lord became jealous for his land
    (U)and had pity on his people.

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Footnotes

  1. Joel 2:17 Or reproach, that the nations should rule over them

Rend Your Heart

12 “Even now,” declares the Lord,
    “return(A) to me with all your heart,(B)
    with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

13 Rend your heart(C)
    and not your garments.(D)
Return(E) to the Lord your God,
    for he is gracious and compassionate,(F)
slow to anger and abounding in love,(G)
    and he relents from sending calamity.(H)
14 Who knows? He may turn(I) and relent(J)
    and leave behind a blessing(K)
grain offerings and drink offerings(L)
    for the Lord your God.

15 Blow the trumpet(M) in Zion,(N)
    declare a holy fast,(O)
    call a sacred assembly.(P)
16 Gather the people,
    consecrate(Q) the assembly;
bring together the elders,(R)
    gather the children,
    those nursing at the breast.
Let the bridegroom(S) leave his room
    and the bride her chamber.
17 Let the priests, who minister(T) before the Lord,
    weep(U) between the portico and the altar.(V)
Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord.
    Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,(W)
    a byword(X) among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
    ‘Where is their God?(Y)’”

The Lord’s Answer

18 Then the Lord was jealous(Z) for his land
    and took pity(AA) on his people.

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14 (A)Consecrate a fast;
    (B)call a solemn assembly.
Gather (C)the elders
    and (D)all the inhabitants of the land
to the house of the Lord your God,
    and cry out to the Lord.

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14 Declare a holy fast;(A)
    call a sacred assembly.
Summon the elders
    and all who live in the land(B)
to the house of the Lord your God,
    and cry out(C) to the Lord.(D)

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(A)In the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, (B)in the ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem (C)proclaimed a fast before the Lord.

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In the ninth month(A) of the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, a time of fasting(B) before the Lord was proclaimed for all the people in Jerusalem and those who had come from the towns of Judah.

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So they gathered at (A)Mizpah (B)and drew water and poured it out before the Lord (C)and fasted on that day and said there, (D)“We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah.

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When they had assembled at Mizpah,(A) they drew water and poured(B) it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Now Samuel was serving as leader[a](C) of Israel at Mizpah.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 7:6 Traditionally judge; also in verse 15

28 And (A)do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him (B)who can destroy both soul and body in hell.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 10:28 Greek Gehenna

28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One(A) who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

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(A)And the people of Nineveh believed God. (B)They called for a fast and (C)put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

The People of Nineveh Repent

The word reached[a] the king of Nineveh, and (D)he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, (E)and sat in ashes. And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, (F)“By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor (G)beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and (H)beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. (I)Let everyone turn from his evil way and from (J)the violence that is in his hands. (K)Who knows? God may turn and relent (L)and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

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Footnotes

  1. Jonah 3:6 Or had reached

The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.(A)

When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.(B) This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:

“By the decree of the king and his nobles:

Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink.(C) But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call(D) urgently on God. Let them give up(E) their evil ways(F) and their violence.(G) Who knows?(H) God may yet relent(I) and with compassion turn(J) from his fierce anger(K) so that we will not perish.”

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They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a (A)day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; (B)children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. (C)It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the Lord your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for (D)the remnant that is left.’”

When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah, Isaiah said to them, “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the young men of the king of Assyria have reviled me.

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They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress(A) and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment of birth(B) and there is no strength to deliver them. It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule(C) the living God,(D) and that he will rebuke him for the words the Lord your God has heard.(E) Therefore pray(F) for the remnant(G) that still survives.”

When King Hezekiah’s officials came to Isaiah, Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master, ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid(H) of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed(I) me.

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When I am afraid,
    I (A)put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
    in God I trust; (B)I shall not be afraid.
    What can flesh do to me?

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When I am afraid,(A) I put my trust in you.(B)
    In God, whose word I praise—(C)
in God I trust and am not afraid.(D)
    What can mere mortals do to me?(E)

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16 “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for (A)three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, (B)and if I perish, I perish.”[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Esther 4:16 Hebrew if I am destroyed, then I will be destroyed

16 “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast(A) for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”(B)

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Fasting and Prayer for Protection

21 (A)Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river (B)Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, (C)to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods. 22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, (D)“The hand of our God is for good on (E)all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.” 23 So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.

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21 There, by the Ahava Canal,(A) I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey(B) for us and our children, with all our possessions. 22 I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers(C) and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone(D) who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.(E) 23 So we fasted(F) and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.

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