And Jehoshaphat feared, and set [a]himself to (A)seek the Lord, and (B)proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 20:3 Lit. his face

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

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(A)Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, 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)good things are found in you, in that you have removed the [a]wooden images from the land, and have (B)prepared your heart to seek God.”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 19:3 Or Asherim, Heb. Asheroth

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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A Call to Repentance

12 “Now, therefore,” says the Lord,
(A)“Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
13 So (B)rend your heart, and not (C)your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is (D)gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
14 (E)Who knows if He will turn and relent,
And leave (F)a blessing behind Him—
(G)A grain offering and a drink offering
For the Lord your God?

15 (H)Blow the [a]trumpet in Zion,
(I)Consecrate a fast,
Call a sacred assembly;
16 Gather the people,
(J)Sanctify the congregation,
Assemble the elders,
Gather the children and nursing babes;
(K)Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber,
And the bride from her dressing room.
17 Let the priests, who minister to the Lord,
Weep (L)between the porch and the altar;
Let them say, (M)“Spare Your people, O Lord,
And do not give Your heritage to reproach,
That the nations should [b]rule over them.
(N)Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’ ”

The Land Refreshed(O)

18 Then the Lord will (P)be zealous for His land,
And pity His people.

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Footnotes

  1. Joel 2:15 ram’s horn
  2. Joel 2:17 Or speak a proverb against 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,
Call (B)a sacred assembly;
Gather the elders
And (C)all the inhabitants of the land
Into 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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Now it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a fast before the Lord to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem.

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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 together at Mizpah, (A)drew water, and poured it out before the Lord. And they (B)fasted that day, and said there, (C)“We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the children 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 (A)And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather (B)fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in [a]hell.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 10:28 Gr. 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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The People of Nineveh Believe

So the (A)people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth (B)and sat in ashes. (C)And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his [a]nobles, saying,

Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, (D)let every one turn from his evil way and from (E)the violence that is in his hands. (F)Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?

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Footnotes

  1. Jonah 3:7 Lit. great ones

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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And they said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah: ‘This day is a day of (A)trouble and rebuke and [a]blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth. 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 (B)reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’ ”

So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. And Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 37:3 contempt

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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Whenever I am afraid,
I will trust in You.
In God (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
(A)I will not fear.
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 who are present in [a]Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for (A)three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; (B)and if I perish, I perish!”

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Footnotes

  1. Esther 4:16 Or Susa

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 Then I (A)proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might (B)humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the (C)right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. 22 For (D)I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, (E)“The hand of our God is upon all those for (F)good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are (G)against all those who (H)forsake Him.” 23 So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He (I)answered our prayer.

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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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