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The People Confess Their Sins

On October 31[a] the people assembled again, and this time they fasted and dressed in burlap and sprinkled dust on their heads.

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Footnotes

  1. 9:1 Hebrew On the twenty-fourth day of that same month, the seventh month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This day was October 31, 445 B.c.; also see notes on 1:1 and 8:2.

The Israelites Confess Their Sins

On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads.(A)

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So on October 8[a] Ezra the priest brought the Book of the Law before the assembly, which included the men and women and all the children old enough to understand.

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Footnotes

  1. 8:2 Hebrew on the first day of the seventh month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This day was October 8, 445 B.c.; also see note on 1:1.

So on the first day of the seventh month(A) Ezra the priest brought the Law(B) before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand.

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23 So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer.

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23 So we fasted(A) and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.

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The Death of Eli

12 A man from the tribe of Benjamin ran from the battlefield and arrived at Shiloh later that same day. He had torn his clothes and put dust on his head to show his grief.

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Death of Eli

12 That same day a Benjamite(A) ran from the battle line and went to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dust(B) on his head.

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Joshua and the elders of Israel tore their clothing in dismay, threw dust on their heads, and bowed face down to the ground before the Ark of the Lord until evening.

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Then Joshua tore his clothes(A) and fell facedown(B) to the ground before the ark of the Lord, remaining there till evening.(C) The elders of Israel(D) did the same, and sprinkled dust(E) on their heads.

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One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.

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While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,(A) “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work(B) to which I have called them.”(C) So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them(D) and sent them off.(E)

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The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow.

When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes. Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city:

“No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all. People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence.

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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)

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15 Blow the ram’s horn in Jerusalem!
    Announce a time of fasting;
call the people together
    for a solemn meeting.
16 Gather all the people—
    the elders, the children, and even the babies.
Call the bridegroom from his quarters
    and the bride from her private room.
17 Let the priests, who minister in the Lord’s presence,
    stand and weep between the entry room to the Temple and the altar.
Let them pray, “Spare your people, Lord!
    Don’t let your special possession become an object of mockery.
Don’t let them become a joke for unbelieving foreigners who say,
    ‘Has the God of Israel left them?’”

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15 Blow the trumpet(A) in Zion,(B)
    declare a holy fast,(C)
    call a sacred assembly.(D)
16 Gather the people,
    consecrate(E) the assembly;
bring together the elders,(F)
    gather the children,
    those nursing at the breast.
Let the bridegroom(G) leave his room
    and the bride her chamber.
17 Let the priests, who minister(H) before the Lord,
    weep(I) between the portico and the altar.(J)
Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord.
    Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,(K)
    a byword(L) among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
    ‘Where is their God?(M)’”

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13 Dress yourselves in burlap and weep, you priests!
    Wail, you who serve before the altar!
Come, spend the night in burlap,
    you ministers of my God.
For there is no grain or wine
    to offer at the Temple of your God.
14 Announce a time of fasting;
    call the people together for a solemn meeting.
Bring the leaders
    and all the people of the land
into the Temple of the Lord your God,
    and cry out to him there.

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A Call to Lamentation

13 Put on sackcloth,(A) you priests, and mourn;
    wail, you who minister(B) before the altar.
Come, spend the night in sackcloth,
    you who minister before my God;
for the grain offerings and drink offerings(C)
    are withheld from the house of your God.
14 Declare a holy fast;(D)
    call a sacred assembly.
Summon the elders
    and all who live in the land(E)
to the house of the Lord your God,
    and cry out(F) to the Lord.(G)

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12 At that time the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
    called you to weep and mourn.
He told you to shave your heads in sorrow for your sins
    and to wear clothes of burlap to show your remorse.

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12 The Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    called you on that day(A)
to weep(B) and to wail,
    to tear out your hair(C) and put on sackcloth.(D)

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12 When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him. Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to show their grief.

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12 When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him;(A) they began to weep aloud,(B) and they tore their robes(C) and sprinkled dust on their heads.(D)

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16 “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.”

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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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And as news of the king’s decree reached all the provinces, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and wailed, and many people lay in burlap and ashes.

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In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

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