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VERSES ABOUT FASTING
Fasting helps me grow closer to God and strengthens my relationship with my Heavenly Father. I try not to see it as something I do for my own benefit, but as a way to improve my walk with God. It's a voluntary choice, a time when I set aside the physical need for food to nourish my spirit. It's a special time to seek God's presence, which is why I find it helpful to fast in a quiet place where I can talk with Him alone.
The Bible talks about this too. Daniel 9:31 says, "So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes." It's really inspiring to see how people in the Bible sought God through fasting.
Moreouer when ye fast, be not sad as ye ypocrytes are. For they disfigure their faces, that they myght be sene of men to fast. Verely I saye vnto you: they haue their rewarde.But thou, whe thou fastest, annoynte thyne heed, and wash thy face,that it appeare not vnto men, that thou fastest: but vnto thy father which is in secrete: and thy father which seyth in secrete, shal rewarde the openly.
But this fastinge pleaseth not me, till ye tyme be thou lowse him out of bondage, that is in thy daunger: that thou breake the ooth of wicked bargaynes, that thou let the oppressed go fre, and take from them all maner of burthens.It pleaseth not me, till thou deale thy bred to the hongrie, & brynge the poore fatherlesse home in to thy house, when thou seist the naked that thou couer him, and hyde not thy face fro thine owne flesh.
Now therfore saieth the LORDE: Turne you vnto me with all youre hertes, with fastinge, wepynge and mournynge:rente youre hertes, & not youre clothes. Turne you vnto the LORDE youre God, for he is gracious & mercifull, longe sufferynge & of greate compassion: & redy to pardone wickednes.
ad I turned me vnto God the LORDE, for to praye and make myne intercessio, with fastinge, sackcloth ad ashes
As they serued ye LORDE, and fasted, the holy goost sayde: Separate me out Barnabas and Saul for the worke, where vnto I haue called them.Then fasted they and prayed, and layed the handes on them, and let them go.
And the people of Niniue beleued God, and proclamed fastinge, and arayed them selues in sack cloth, as well the greate as the small of them.And the tydinges came vnto ye kinge of Niniue, which arose out off his seate, and dyd his apparell off, and put on sack cloth, and sate him downe in asshes.And it was cried and commaunded in Niniue, by the auctorite of the kige and his lordes, sayenge: se that nether man or beest, oxe or shepe taist ought at all: and that they nether fede ner drincke water:but put on sack cloth both man and beest, and crye mightely vnto God: yee se that euery man turne fro his euell waye, and from the wickednesse, yt he hath in honde.Who can tell? God maye turne, and repete, and cease from his fearce wrath, that we perish not.And when God sawe their workes, how they turned from their wicked wayes: he repented on the euell, which he sayde he wolde do vnto them, and dyd it not.
And euen there at the water besyde Aheua, caused I a fastinge to be proclamed, yt we mighte humble oure selues before oure God, to seke of him a righte waye for us, & oure children and all oure substaunce.For I was ashamed to require of the kynge, soudyers & horsmen, to helpe us agaynst the enemye in the waye. For we had sayde vnto the kynge: The hande of oure God is for the best vpon all them that seke him, and his violence and wrath vpon all them that forsake him.So we fasted, and soughte this at oure God, and he herde us.
And Iosaphat was afrayed, & set his face to seke ye LORDE, & caused a fast to be proclamed in all Iuda.And Iuda came together to seke the LORDE. And out of all ye cities of Iuda came they to seke the LORDE.
Wha I herde these wordes, I sat me downe & wepte, & mourned two dayes, & fasted & prayed before the God of heauen,
Iesus full of the holy goost, came agayne from Iordane, and was led of ye sprete into wyldernes,& fourty dayes loge was he tepted of ye deuell. And in those dayes ate he nothinge. And whan they were ended, he hongred afterwarde.
And he was there with the LORDE fourtye dayes and fourtye nightes, and ate no bred, and dranke no water. And he wrote in the tables the wordes of the couenaut, euen ten verses.
And wha they had ordeyned them Elders by eleccion thorow all the congregacions, they prayed and fasted, and comended them vnto the LORDE, on whom they beleued.
Neuertheles, when they were sick, I put on a sack cloth: I humbled my soule with fastinge, and my prayer turned in to myne owne bosome.I behaued myself as though it had bene my frende or my brother, I wete heuely, as one yt mourneth for his mother.
But whan Achab herde these wordes, he rete his clothes, & put a sack cloth on his body, & fasted, and slepte in sack cloth, and wente aboute hanginge downe his heade.And the worde of the LORDE came to Elias the The?bite, & sayde:Hast thou not sene how Achab humbleth him selfe before me? For so moch now as he hubleth him selfe in my sighte, I wil not brynge that plage whyle he lyueth: but by his sonnes life wil I brynge mysfortune vpon his house.
Then came the disciples of Ihon to hym sayinge: why do we & ye Pharises fast so oft: and thy disciples fast not?And Iesus sayde vnto the: Can the weddynge chyldre mourne as loge as the bridegrome is with them? The tyme will come, when the bridegrome shalbe taken from them, and the shall they fast.
At the same tyme, I Daniel mourned for the space of thre wekes,so that I had no lust to eate bred: as for flesh and wyne, there came none within my mouth: No, I dyd not ones anoynte my self, till the whole thre wekes were out.
Wherfore fast we (saye they) and thou seist it not? we put oure liues to straitnesse, and thou regardest it not?Beholde, when ye fast, youre lust remayneth still: for ye do no lesse violence to youre detters: lo, ye fast to strife and debate, and to smyte him with youre fist, that speaketh vnto you. Ye fast not (as somtyme) that youre voyce might be herde aboue.Thynke ye this fast pleaseth me, that a ma shulde chasten himself for a daye, and to wryth his heade aboute like an hoke in an hairy cloth, & to lye vpon the earth? Shulde that be called fastinge, or a daye yt pleaseth ye LORDE?
In the foure and twentieth daye of this moneth came the children of Israel together with fastinge and sack clothes, and earth vpon them,and separated the sede of Israel from all the straunge children, and stode and knowleged their synnes, and the wyckednesses of their fathers,
Speake vnto all the people of the londe, and to the prestes, and saye: when ye fasted and mourned in the v & vij. moneth (now this lxx. yeares) dyd ye fast vnto me?
And they came together vnto Mispa, and drue water, & poured it out before the LORDE, and fasted the same daye, and there they sayde: We haue synned vnto the LORDE. So Samuel iudged the children of Israel at Mispa.
Withdrawe not yor selues one fro another, excepte it be with the consent of both for a tyme, that ye maye geue youre selues vnto fastinge and prayer, and the come together agayne, lest Sathan tempte you for yor incontynecye.
And Dauid besoughte God for the childe, and fasted, and wente in, and laie all nighte vpon the earth.
Go thou yi waye then, & gather together all ye Iewes yt are founde at Susan, & fast ye for me, yt ye eate not & drynke not in thre dayes, nether daye ner nighte. I & my damsels wil fast likewyse, & so wyl I go into the kynge cotrary to the comaundement: yf I perishe, I perishe.
Proclame a fastynge, call the cogregacion, gather the elders & all the inhabiters of the londe together into the house of the LORDE yor God, & crie vnto the LORDE:
Then wente all the children of Israel vp, and all the people, and came to the house of God, and wepte, and taried there before the LORDE, & fasted that daye vntyll the euen, and offred burntofferynges and deedofferinges before the LORDE.
And he arose, and ate and drake, and wente on thorow the strength of that meate fortye dayes and fortye nightes, eue vnto Horeb ye mount of God:
Cornelius sayde: It is now foure dayes agoo, then fasted I, and at the nyenth houre I prayed in my house, and beholde, there stode a ma before me in a bryghte clothinge,and sayde: Cornelius, yi prayer is herde, and thine allmesse dedes are had in remebraunce iu the sighte of God.
So the kynge wente in to his palace, and kepte him sober all night, so that there was no table spred before him, nether coude he take eny slepe.
And the people of Niniue beleued God, and proclamed fastinge, and arayed them selues in sack cloth, as well the greate as the small of them.
that it appeare not vnto men, that thou fastest: but vnto thy father which is in secrete: and thy father which seyth in secrete, shal rewarde the openly.
For though they fast, I will not heare their prayers. And though they offre burnt offriges & sacrifices, yet wil not I accepte them. For I will destroye them with the swearde, honger and pestilence.
thus sayeth the LORDE of hoostes: The fast of the fourth moneth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seuenth, and the fast of the tenth, shal be ioye and gladnesse, & prosperous hye feastes vnto the house of Iuda: Only, loue the treuth and peace.
Neuertheles, when they were sick, I put on a sack cloth: I humbled my soule with fastinge, and my prayer turned in to myne owne bosome.
Blowe out with the tropet in Sion, proclame a fastynge, call the congregacion,& gather the people together: warne the congregacion, gather the elders, bringe the children & suclynges together. Let ye brydegrome go forth of his chabre, & the bryde out of her closet.
but I tame my body, and brynge it in to subieccion, lest whan I preach vnto other: I my selfe be a cast awaye.
Wha I herde these wordes, I sat me downe & wepte, & mourned two dayes, & fasted & prayed before the God of heauen,& sayde: O LORDE God of heauen, thou greate & terrible God, thou yt kepest couenaunt & mercy for them yt loue the & obserue thy comaundementes:let yi eares marke, & let thine eies be open, yt thou mayest heare the prayer of yi seruaunt, which I praye now before ye daye and nighte for the children of Israel thy seruauntes, & knowlege the synnes of the children of Israel, which we haue commytted agaynst the. And I & my fathers house haue synned also.
thus dyd she euery yeare, whan they wente vp to the house of the LORDE, and thus she prouoked her. So she wepte, and ate nothinge.But Elcana hir husbande sayde vnto her: Wherfore wepest thou? and why eatest thou not? And wherfore is thine hert so greued? Am not I better vnto the then ten sonnes?
As they serued ye LORDE, and fasted, the holy goost sayde: Separate me out Barnabas and Saul for the worke, where vnto I haue called them.
& had now bene a wedowe aboute foure score & foure yeares, which came neuer fro the teple, seruynge God wt fastynge and prayenge, daye and night:
As I was yet speakinge at my prayers, knowleginge myne owne synnes and ye synnes of my people, makinge so myne intercession before the LORDE my God, for the holy hils sake of my God:yee whyle I was yet speakinge in my prayer, beholde, the ma Gabriel (whom I had sene afore in the vision) came flyenge to me, and touched me aboute ye offeringe tyme in the euenynge.He infourmed me, and spake vnto me: O Daniel (sayde he) I am now come, to make the vnderstonde it:For as soone as thou begannest to make thy prayer, it was so diuysed, and therfore am I come to shewe the. And why? for thou art a man greatly beloued. Wherfore, pondre the matter wel, that thou mayest lerne, to vnderstonde the vision.
& mourned, and wepte, and fasted vntyll the euen, ouer Saul & Ionathas his sonne, and ouer the people of the LORDE, and ouer the house of Israel, because they were fallen thorow the swerde.
Then wente all the children of Israel vp, and all the people, and came to the house of God, and wepte, and taried there before the LORDE, & fasted that daye vntyll the euen, and offred burntofferynges and deedofferinges before the LORDE.And the children of Israel axed at the LORDE (the Arke of the couenaunt of God was there at that tyme,and Phineas the sonne of Eleasar the sonne of Aaron stode before him at the same tyme) & they sayde: Shal we go forth eny more to fighte with oure brethren the childre of Ben Iamin, or shal we leaue of? The LORDE sayde: Go vp, tomorow wyll I delyuer them in to youre handes.
Proclame a fastynge, call the cogregacion, gather the elders & all the inhabiters of the londe together into the house of the LORDE yor God, & crie vnto the LORDE:alas, alas for this daye. And why? the daye of the LORDE is at honde, and commeth as a destroyer from the Allmightie.
to confirme these dayes of Purim, in their tyme appoynted, acordynges as Mardocheus the Iewe and Hester the quene had ordeined cocernynge them: lyke as they vpon their soule and vpon their sede had cofirmed the actes of the fastinges and of hir coplainte.
And therfore crie now, as loude as thou canst. Leaue not of, lift vp thy voyce like a tropet, and shewe my people their offences, and ye house of Iacob their synnes.For they seke me dalye, and wil knowe my wayes, euen as it were a people that dyd right, and had not forsaken the statutes of their God. They argue with me concernynge right iudgment, and wil pleate at the lawe with their God.Wherfore fast we (saye they) and thou seist it not? we put oure liues to straitnesse, and thou regardest it not?Beholde, when ye fast, youre lust remayneth still: for ye do no lesse violence to youre detters: lo, ye fast to strife and debate, and to smyte him with youre fist, that speaketh vnto you. Ye fast not (as somtyme) that youre voyce might be herde aboue.Thynke ye this fast pleaseth me, that a ma shulde chasten himself for a daye, and to wryth his heade aboute like an hoke in an hairy cloth, & to lye vpon the earth? Shulde that be called fastinge, or a daye yt pleaseth ye LORDE?But this fastinge pleaseth not me, till ye tyme be thou lowse him out of bondage, that is in thy daunger: that thou breake the ooth of wicked bargaynes, that thou let the oppressed go fre, and take from them all maner of burthens.It pleaseth not me, till thou deale thy bred to the hongrie, & brynge the poore fatherlesse home in to thy house, when thou seist the naked that thou couer him, and hyde not thy face fro thine owne flesh.Then shal thy light breake forth as ye mornynge, and thy health florish right shortly: thy rightuousnesse shal go before the, and ye glory of the LORDE shal embrace the.Then yf thou callest, the LORDE shal answere the: yf thou criest, he shal saye: here I am. Yee yf thou layest awaye thy burthens, and holdest thy fyngers, and ceasest from blasphemous talkinge,
Then was Iesus ledd awaye of the spirite in to wildernes, to be tempted of the deuyll.And when he had fasted fourtye dayes and fourtye nightes, he was afterward an hungred.And the tepter came to him and sayde: yf thou be the sonne of God, commaunde, that these stones be made breed.He answered & sayde: yt is wrytte: Man shall not lyue by bred onlye, but by euery worde that proceadeth out of the mouth of God.
to humble my people, which is named after my name: and yf they praye, and seke my face, and turne from their euell wayes, the wyl I heare them from heauen, and wyll forgeue their sinne, and heale their londe.
And whan it beganne to be daye, Paul exhorted them all to take meate, and sayde: To daye is the fourtene daye that ye haue taried and contynued fastinge, and haue receaued nothinge:Wherfore I praye you to take meate, for youre health: for there shal not one heer fall from the heade of eny of you.
So the kynge wente in to his palace, and kepte him sober all night, so that there was no table spred before him, nether coude he take eny slepe.But be tymes in the mornynge at the breake off the daye, the kynge arose, and wente in all haist vnto the denne off the Lyons.Now as he came nye vnto ye dene, he cried wt a piteous voyce vnto Daniel: Yee ye kige spake, and sayde vnto Daniel: O Daniel, thou seruaunt off the lyuynge God, Is not thy God (whom thou allwaye seruest) able to delyuer the from the lyons?
And Iesus sayde vnto the: Can the weddynge chyldre mourne as loge as the bridegrome is with them? The tyme will come, when the bridegrome shalbe taken from them, and the shall they fast.
For the zele of thine house hath euen eaten me, and the rebukes of them that rebuked the, is fallen vpon me.I wepte and chastened my self wt fastinge, and that was turned to my reprofe.
And this was done in the fyfth yeare off Ioachim ye sonne of Iosias kinge of Iuda, in the ix. moneth when it was commaunded, that all the people of Ierusalem shulde fast before the LORDE, and they also that were come from the cities of Iuda vnto Ierusalem.
And the tydinges came vnto ye kinge of Niniue, which arose out off his seate, and dyd his apparell off, and put on sack cloth, and sate him downe in asshes.And it was cried and commaunded in Niniue, by the auctorite of the kige and his lordes, sayenge: se that nether man or beest, oxe or shepe taist ought at all: and that they nether fede ner drincke water:but put on sack cloth both man and beest, and crye mightely vnto God: yee se that euery man turne fro his euell waye, and from the wickednesse, yt he hath in honde.Who can tell? God maye turne, and repete, and cease from his fearce wrath, that we perish not.
And E?dras stode vp before the house of God, and wente in to the chamber of Iohanan the sonne of Eliasab. And whan he came thither, he ate no bred, and dranke no water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had bene in captiuyte.
In the foure and twentieth daye of this moneth came the children of Israel together with fastinge and sack clothes, and earth vpon them,and separated the sede of Israel from all the straunge children, and stode and knowleged their synnes, and the wyckednesses of their fathers,and stode vp in their place, and red in the boke of the lawe of the LORDE their God foure tymes on the daye, and they knowleged, and worshipped the LORDE their God foure tymes on the daye.
in laboure & trauayle, in moch watchinges, in honger and thyrst, in moch fastinges in colde and nakednesse:
whan I was gone vp to ye mount, to receaue the tables of stone, namely the tables of the couenaunt which the LORDE made wt you, and I abode fortye dayes & fortye nightes vpon the mount, and ate no bred, & dranke no water:
Then wente all the children of Israel vp, and all the people, and came to the house of God, and wepte, and taried there before the LORDE, & fasted that daye vntyll the euen, and offred burntofferynges and deedofferinges before the LORDE.And the children of Israel axed at the LORDE (the Arke of the couenaunt of God was there at that tyme,
And whan the men of Israel came forth, Saul charged all the people the same daye, and sayde: Cursed be euery man, which eateth bred vntyll euen, that I maye auenge me on myne enemies. Then all the people taisted no bred.
Moreouer when ye fast, be not sad as ye ypocrytes are. For they disfigure their faces, that they myght be sene of men to fast. Verely I saye vnto you: they haue their rewarde.
so that I had no lust to eate bred: as for flesh and wyne, there came none within my mouth: No, I dyd not ones anoynte my self, till the whole thre wekes were out.
O delyuer me, for I am helplesse & poore, & my herte is wounded within me,I go hence like ye shadowe that departeth, and am dryuen awaye as ye greshoppers.My knees are weake thorow fastinge, my flesh is dried vp for want of fatnesse.I am become a rebuke vnto them, they loke vpo me and shake their heades.
And euen there at the water besyde Aheua, caused I a fastinge to be proclamed, yt we mighte humble oure selues before oure God, to seke of him a righte waye for us, & oure children and all oure substaunce.
but put on sack cloth both man and beest, and crye mightely vnto God: yee se that euery man turne fro his euell waye, and from the wickednesse, yt he hath in honde.
And Moses wente in to the myddest of the cloude, and asceded vp in to the mount, and abode vpon the mount fourtye dayes & fourtye nightes.
Then came the disciples of Ihon to hym sayinge: why do we & ye Pharises fast so oft: and thy disciples fast not?And Iesus sayde vnto the: Can the weddynge chyldre mourne as loge as the bridegrome is with them? The tyme will come, when the bridegrome shalbe taken from them, and the shall they fast.No man peceth an olde garment with a pece of newe clothe. For then taketh he awaye the pece agayne from the garment, & the rent ys made greater.Nether do men put new wyne in to olde vessels, for then the vessels breake, and the wyne runneth out, & ye vessels peryshe, But they poure newe wyne in to newe vessels, and so are both saued together,
And in all lodes & places, as farre as the kynges worde and commaundement extended, there was greate lamentacion amonge the Iewes, and many fasted, wepte, mourned, & laye in sack clothes & in ashes.
And Iosaphat was afrayed, & set his face to seke ye LORDE, & caused a fast to be proclamed in all Iuda.
But this fastinge pleaseth not me, till ye tyme be thou lowse him out of bondage, that is in thy daunger: that thou breake the ooth of wicked bargaynes, that thou let the oppressed go fre, and take from them all maner of burthens.It pleaseth not me, till thou deale thy bred to the hongrie, & brynge the poore fatherlesse home in to thy house, when thou seist the naked that thou couer him, and hyde not thy face fro thine owne flesh.Then shal thy light breake forth as ye mornynge, and thy health florish right shortly: thy rightuousnesse shal go before the, and ye glory of the LORDE shal embrace the.Then yf thou callest, the LORDE shal answere the: yf thou criest, he shal saye: here I am. Yee yf thou layest awaye thy burthens, and holdest thy fyngers, and ceasest from blasphemous talkinge,yf thou hast compassion vpon the hongrie, and refre?shest ye troubled soule: Then shal thy light springe out in the darknesse, and thy darknesse shalbe as the noone daye.The LORDE shal euer be thy gyde, and satisfie the desyre of thine hert, and fyl yi bones with marry. Thou shalt be like a freshwatred garden, and like the founteyne of water, that neuer leaueth runnynge.Then the places that haue euer bene waist, shalbe buylded of the: there shalt thou laye a foundacion for many kynreds. Thou shalt be called the maker vp of hedges, and ye buylder agayne of ye waye of the Sabbath.
Wha I herde these wordes, I sat me downe & wepte, & mourned two dayes, & fasted & prayed before the God of heauen,& sayde: O LORDE God of heauen, thou greate & terrible God, thou yt kepest couenaunt & mercy for them yt loue the & obserue thy comaundementes:let yi eares marke, & let thine eies be open, yt thou mayest heare the prayer of yi seruaunt, which I praye now before ye daye and nighte for the children of Israel thy seruauntes, & knowlege the synnes of the children of Israel, which we haue commytted agaynst the. And I & my fathers house haue synned also.We haue bene corrupte vnto the, in yt we haue not kepte the comaundementes, statutes & lawes, which thou comaundedst yi seruaunt Moses.Yet call to remembraunce ye worde that thou comaundedst thy seruaunt Moses, and saydest: Yf ye trasgresse, then wil I scater you abrode amonge the nacios.But yf ye turne vnto me, and kepe my commaundementes & do them: though ye were cast out vnto the vttemost parte of heauen yet wyl I gather you from thence, and wyll brynge you from thence, eue vnto the place, that I haue chosen for my name to dwell there.They are thy seruauntes, and thy people, whom thou hast delyuered thorow thy greate power & mightie hande.O LORDE, let thine eares marke the prayer of thy seruaunt, & the prayer of thy seruauntes, whose desyre is to feare thy name, & let thy seruaunt prospere this daye, & graunte him mercy in the sight of this man: for I was the kynges butlar.
O proue but ten dayes with thy seruauntes, and let vs haue potage to eate, and water to drynke:
And they came together vnto Mispa, and drue water, & poured it out before the LORDE, and fasted the same daye, and there they sayde: We haue synned vnto the LORDE. So Samuel iudged the children of Israel at Mispa.But whan the Philistynes herde that ye children of Israel were come together vnto Mispa, the prynces of the Philistynes wete vp against Israel. Whan ye childre of Israel herde that, they were afrayed of ye Philistynes,& sayde vnto Samuel: Ceasse not to crye vnto the LORDE oure God for vs, yt he maie helpe vs out of the hande of ye Philistynes.
And aboute the euenynge sacrifice I rose vp fro my heuynes, and rente my clothes and my raiment, and fell vpon my knees, and spred out my handes vnto the LORDE my God,
Cornelius sayde: It is now foure dayes agoo, then fasted I, and at the nyenth houre I prayed in my house, and beholde, there stode a ma before me in a bryghte clothinge,
But the man of God sayde vnto the kynge: Yf thou geuest me halfe thy house, I wil not come with the: for in this place wyll I nether eate bred, ner drynke water.For thus am I commaunded, and thus is it sayde vnto me by the worde of the LORDE: Thou shalt eate no bred, and drynke no water, nether returne the waye that thou wentest.
Then saide he vnto me: feare not Daniel: for why, sence the first daye that thou set thine herte to vnderstonde, and didest chasten thy self before thy God: thy wordes haue bene herde. And I had come vnto the whe thou begannest to speake,had not the prynce ouer the kingdome of the, Perses wt stonde me xxj. dayes. But lo, Michael one of the chefe prynces, came to helpe me, him haue I left by the kinge of Persia,
Like as the hert desyreth the water brokes, so longeth my soule after the, o God. My soule is a thurste for God, yee eue for the lyuynge God: wha shal I come, & beholde the face of God?My teares are my meate daye and night, whyle it is daylie sayde vnto me: where is now thy God?
And I gathered them together by the water that renneth towarde Aheua, & there abode we thre dayes, And whan I loked amonge the people & the prestes, I founde no Leuites there.The sent I Elieser, Ariel, Semaia, Elnathan, Iarib, Elnathan, Natha, Zachary and Mesullam the rulers, and Ioiarib and Elnathan the teachers,and those sent I vnto Iddo ye chefest at Casiphia, that they shulde fetch us mynysters for the house of oure God, and I tolde them what they shulde saye vnto Iddo and to his brethren the Nethinims at Casiphia.And (acordinge to the good hande of oure God vpon us) they broughte us a wyse man from amonge the children of Maheli the sonne of Leui the sonne of Israel, euen Serebia with his sonnes and brethren, eightene.And Hasabia, and with him Iesaia of the children of Merari, with his brethren & their sonnes, twentye.And of the Nethinims, whom Dauid and the princes gaue to mynister vnto the Leuites, two hundreth & twentye, all named by name.And euen there at the water besyde Aheua, caused I a fastinge to be proclamed, yt we mighte humble oure selues before oure God, to seke of him a righte waye for us, & oure children and all oure substaunce.For I was ashamed to require of the kynge, soudyers & horsmen, to helpe us agaynst the enemye in the waye. For we had sayde vnto the kynge: The hande of oure God is for the best vpon all them that seke him, and his violence and wrath vpon all them that forsake him.So we fasted, and soughte this at oure God, and he herde us.
Then was Iesus ledd awaye of the spirite in to wildernes, to be tempted of the deuyll.And when he had fasted fourtye dayes and fourtye nightes, he was afterward an hungred.And the tepter came to him and sayde: yf thou be the sonne of God, commaunde, that these stones be made breed.He answered & sayde: yt is wrytte: Man shall not lyue by bred onlye, but by euery worde that proceadeth out of the mouth of God.Then the deuyll toke hym vp into the holy cite, and set hym on a pynacle of the temple,and sayde vnto hym: yf thou be ye sonne of God, cast thy sylfe downe. For it is wrytten: he shall geue his angels charge ouer the and with their handes they shal holde the vp, that thou dashe not thy fote agaynst a stone.And Iesus sayde vnto hym: it ys wrytten also: Thou shalt not tempte thy LORDE God.Agayne, the deuyll toke hym vp and led hym into an excedynge hye mountayne, and shewed hym all the kyngdomes of the worlde, and all the glorie of them,and sayde vnto hym: all these wil I geue the, yf thou wilt fall downe and worship me.Then sayde Iesus vnto hym: Auoyde Sata. For it ys wrytte: thou shalt worshyp the LORDE thy God and hym onely shalt thou serue.Then the deuell left hym, and beholde, the angels came and ministred vnto hym.
But they sayde vnto him: Wherfore fast ye disciples of Iho so of, & praye so moch, & the disciples of the Pharises likewyse, but yi disciples eate and drynke?And he sayde vnto them: Can ye make the weddynge childre fast, so loge as the brydegrome is with the?But the tyme wil come that the brydegrome shalbe take fro the, then shal they fast.
And the children of Israel axed at the LORDE (the Arke of the couenaunt of God was there at that tyme,and Phineas the sonne of Eleasar the sonne of Aaron stode before him at the same tyme) & they sayde: Shal we go forth eny more to fighte with oure brethren the childre of Ben Iamin, or shal we leaue of? The LORDE sayde: Go vp, tomorow wyll I delyuer them in to youre handes.
In the first yeare off Darius the sonne off Ahasuerus, which was of the sede off the Medes, & was made kynge ouer the realme of the Caldees:Yee euen in the first yeare off his raigne, I Daniel desyred to knowe the yearly nombre out of the bokes, wherof the LORDE spake vnto Ieremy the prophet: that Ierusalem shulde lie waist lxx. yeares:ad I turned me vnto God the LORDE, for to praye and make myne intercessio, with fastinge, sackcloth ad ashes
And Nathan wente home. As for the childe which Vrias wife bare vnto Dauid, the LORDE smote it, so that it was deedsicke.And Dauid besoughte God for the childe, and fasted, and wente in, and laie all nighte vpon the earth.Then rose the Elders of his house, and wolde haue taken him vp fro the grounde: neuertheles he wolde not, nether ate he wt them.Vpon the seuenth daye ye childe dyed. And Dauids seruauntes durst not tell him that the childe was deed. For they thoughte: Beholde, whan the childe was yet alyue, we spake vnto him, and he herkened not vnto oure voyce, How moch more shall it greue him, yf we saye: The childe is deed?And Dauid sawe that his seruauntes made a whisperinge together, and perceaued that the childe was deed, and sayde vnto his seruauntes: Is the childe deed? They sayde: Yee.Then rose Dauid vp from the earth, and wasshed him selfe, and anoynted him, and put on other garmentes, & wente in to the house of the LORDE, and worshipped. And whan he came agayne, he commaunded to set bred before him, and ate.Then sayde his seruauntes vnto him: What maner of thinge is this that thou doest? Whan the childe was alyue, thou fastedst and weptest: but now that it is deed, thou stodest up and eatest?He sayde: I fasted and wepte for the childe whan it was yet a lyue, for I thoughte: Who knoweth, peraduenture the LORDE maye be gracious vnto me, that the childe maye lyue.But now that it is deed, wherfore shulde I fast? Can I fetch it agayne. I shal go vnto it, but it shall not come agayne vnto me.
Gyrde you, & make yor mone, o ye prestes: mourne ye ministres of the aulter: go youre waye in, & slepe in sack cloth, o ye officers of my God: for the meat & drynkofferynge shalbe taken awaye from the house of yor God.Proclame a fastynge, call the cogregacion, gather the elders & all the inhabiters of the londe together into the house of the LORDE yor God, & crie vnto the LORDE:
& sayde: O LORDE God of heauen, thou greate & terrible God, thou yt kepest couenaunt & mercy for them yt loue the & obserue thy comaundementes:let yi eares marke, & let thine eies be open, yt thou mayest heare the prayer of yi seruaunt, which I praye now before ye daye and nighte for the children of Israel thy seruauntes, & knowlege the synnes of the children of Israel, which we haue commytted agaynst the. And I & my fathers house haue synned also.We haue bene corrupte vnto the, in yt we haue not kepte the comaundementes, statutes & lawes, which thou comaundedst yi seruaunt Moses.Yet call to remembraunce ye worde that thou comaundedst thy seruaunt Moses, and saydest: Yf ye trasgresse, then wil I scater you abrode amonge the nacios.But yf ye turne vnto me, and kepe my commaundementes & do them: though ye were cast out vnto the vttemost parte of heauen yet wyl I gather you from thence, and wyll brynge you from thence, eue vnto the place, that I haue chosen for my name to dwell there.They are thy seruauntes, and thy people, whom thou hast delyuered thorow thy greate power & mightie hande.O LORDE, let thine eares marke the prayer of thy seruaunt, & the prayer of thy seruauntes, whose desyre is to feare thy name, & let thy seruaunt prospere this daye, & graunte him mercy in the sight of this man: for I was the kynges butlar.
I wepte and chastened my self wt fastinge, and that was turned to my reprofe.I put on a sackecloth, and therfore they iested vpon me.
yf thou hast compassion vpon the hongrie, and refre?shest ye troubled soule: Then shal thy light springe out in the darknesse, and thy darknesse shalbe as the noone daye.The LORDE shal euer be thy gyde, and satisfie the desyre of thine hert, and fyl yi bones with marry. Thou shalt be like a freshwatred garden, and like the founteyne of water, that neuer leaueth runnynge.
But Daniel was at a poynt wt himself, that he wolde not be defyled thorow the kynges meate, ner ye wyne which he droke. And this he desyred off the chefe chaberlayne, lest he shulde defyle himselff.So God gaue Daniel fauoure and grace before ye chefe chamberlayne,that he sayde vnto him: I am afrayed off my lorde the kynge, which hath appoynted you youre meate and drynke: lest he spye youre faces to be worse lykynge then the other spryngaldes of youre age, ad so ye shal make me loose my heade vnto ye kynge.Then Daniel answered Melassar, whom the chefe chamberlayne had set ouer Daniel, Ananias, Misael and Asarias, and sayde:O proue but ten dayes with thy seruauntes, and let vs haue potage to eate, and water to drynke:then loke vpon oure faces, and theirs that eate off the kinges meate. And as thou seyst, so deale with thy seruauntes.So he consented to them in this matter, ad proued the x. dayes.And after ye ten dayes, their faces were better lykinge & fatter, then all the yonge spryngaldes, which ate of the kinges meate.Thus Melassar toke awaye their meate and wyne, and gaue them potage therfore.
But when thou prayest, entre in to thy chamber, and shut thy dore to the, & praye to thy father which is in secrete: and thy father which seith in secrete, shall rewarde the openly.
And I gathered them together by the water that renneth towarde Aheua, & there abode we thre dayes, And whan I loked amonge the people & the prestes, I founde no Leuites there.
& sayde vnto Abiathar ye prest the sonne of Ahimelech: Bringe me hither the ouerbody cote. And whan Abiathar had broughte the ouerbody cote vnto Dauid,Dauid axed at the LORDE, and sayde: Shal I folowe vpon the men of warre, and shal I ouertake them? He sayde: Yee, folowe vpo them, thou shalt ouertake them, and shalt rescue the pray.
O God, thou art my God: early wil I seke the.My soule thursteth for the, my flesh longeth after the in a bare & drie lode, where no water is.Thus do I loke for the in thy Sactuary, that I might beholde yi power & glory.For thy louynge kyndnesse is better then life, my lyppes shal prayse the.As loge as I liue wil I magnifie the, & lift vp my hondes in thy name.
And he prayed vnto the LORDE, and sayde: O LORDE, was not this my sayenge (I praye the) when I was yet in my countre? therfore I haisted rather to fle vnto Tharsis, for I knowe well ynough that thou art a mercifull God, full of compassion, loge sufferinge, and of greate kyndnesse, and repentest when thou shuldest take punyshment.
O taist and se how frendly the LORDE is, blessed is the man yt trusteth in him.O feare the LORDE, ye yt be his sayntes: for they that feare him, lacke nothinge.The rich shal want and suffre hunger, but they which seke the LORDE, shal wat no maner of thinge, that is good.
My soule hath a desyre & loginge for ye courte of ye LORDE, my hert & my flesh reioyse in ye lyuynge God.
O that me wolde prayse the goodnesse of the LORDE, & the wonders that he doth for the childre of me.For he satisfied the emptie soule, & fylled the hongrie soule wt good.
And there was a prophetisse, one Anna, the doughter of Phanuel of the trybe of Aser, which was of a greate age, and had lyued seuen yeares with hir hussbade from hir virginite,& had now bene a wedowe aboute foure score & foure yeares, which came neuer fro the teple, seruynge God wt fastynge and prayenge, daye and night:
Therfore sayde he vnto them: Go youre waye, and eate the fat, and drynke the swete, and sende parte vnto them also that haue not prepared themselues: for this daye is holy vnto oure LORDE, be not ye sory therfore: for the ioye of the LORDE is youre strength.
Then shal the LORDE be gelous ouer his londe, & spare his people:yee ye LORDE shal answere, & saye vnto his people: Beholde, I wil sende you corne, wyne & oyle, so that ye shal haue plenty of them: & I wil nomore geue you ouer to be a reprofe amonge the Heithen.
And Mardocheus wrote these actes, and sent the writinges vnto all the Iewes yt were in all ye londes of kynge Ahasuerus, both nye and farre,that they shulde yearly receaue and holde the fourtenth and fiftenth daie of the moneth Adar,as the daies wherin ye Iewes came to rest from their enemies, & as a moneth wherin their payne was turned to ioye, and their sorowe in to prosperite: that they shulde obserue the same as dayes of wealth and gladnes, and one to sende giftes vnto another, & to distribute vnto the poore.
There were at Antioche in the congregacion, prophetes and teachers, as Barnabas, and Simon called Niger, and Lucius of Cyren, and Manahen Herodes the Tetrachas norsfelowe, and Saul.As they serued ye LORDE, and fasted, the holy goost sayde: Separate me out Barnabas and Saul for the worke, where vnto I haue called them.Then fasted they and prayed, and layed the handes on them, and let them go.
Yee yf thou turne thy fete from the Sabbath, so that thou do not the thinge which pleaseth thyself in my holy daye: then shalt thou be called vnto the pleasaunt, holy & glorious Sabbath of the LORDE, where thou shalt be in honor: so yt thou do not after thine owne ymaginacion, nether seke thine owne wil, ner speake thine owne wordes.The shalt thou haue yi pleasure in ye LORDE, which shal carie ye hie aboue ye earth, & fede the wt the heretage of Iacob thy father: for the LORDES owne mouth hath so promised.
After this came the childre of Moab, the children of Ammon, and certayne of Amanim wt them, to fighte against Iosaphat.And they came and tolde Iosaphat, and sayde: There cometh a greate multitude agaynst the from beyonde the See of Syria, & beholde, they are at Hazezon Thamar, that is Engaddi.And Iosaphat was afrayed, & set his face to seke ye LORDE, & caused a fast to be proclamed in all Iuda.And Iuda came together to seke the LORDE. And out of all ye cities of Iuda came they to seke the LORDE.And Iosaphat stode amoge ye cogregacion of Iuda & Ierusalem in the house of ye LORDE before the new courte,and sayde: O LORDE God of oure fathers, art not thou God in heauen, and hast domynion in all the kyngdomes of the Heythen? And in thy hande is strength and power, and there is no man that can withstode the.Hast not thou or God expelled the inhabiters of this londe before thy people of Israel? and hast geue it vnto the sede of Abraham thy louer for euer?so that they haue dwelt in it, & haue buylded the a Sanctuary vnto yi name therin, and sayde:Yf there come eny plage, swerde, iudgmet, pestilence, or derth vpon vs, we wyll stonde before this house euen before the (for thy name is in this house) and wyll crye vnto the in oure trouble, and thou shalt heare, and shalt saue vs.Beholde now, the children of Ammon, of Moab, & they of mount Seir, vpon whom thou woldest not suffre the children of Israel to go, whan they wente out of the londe of Egipte, but they were fayne to departe from the, and not to destroye them:and beholde, they deale contrarely with vs, and come to thrust vs out of the inheritaunce, that thou hast geuen vs in possession.O oure God, wylt thou not iudge them? For in vs is no strength to withstonde this greate multitude that commeth agaynst vs. We knowe not what we shulde do, but oure eyes loke vnto the.And all Iuda stode before the LORDE, with their children, wyues and sonnes.But vpon Iehasiel the sonne of Zacharias, the sonne of Benaia, the sonne of Iehiel, the sonne of Mathania the Leuite of ye children of Assaph, came the sprete of the LORDE in the myddes of the congregacion,and sayde: Geue hede all thou Iuda, and ye inhabiters of Ierusalem, and thou kynge Iosaphat: Thus sayeth the LORDE vnto you: Be not ye afrayed, nether feare ye this greate multitude: for it is not ye that fighte, but God.Tomorow shal ye go downe vnto the. And beholde, they go vp by Sis, and ye shal fynde them at the reed see by the broke before the wyldernes of Ieruel:for ye shall not fighte in this cause. Do ye but steppe forth, and stonde, and se the health of the LORDE that is with you. Feare not O Iuda and Ierusalem, and be not afrayed, tomorow go ye forth agaynst them, and the LORDE shalbe with you.The Iosaphat bowed him selfe wt his face to the earth, & all Iuda, & the inhabiters of Ierusalem fell before the LORDE, & worshipped the LORDE.And the Leuites of ye childre of the Kahathites & of the children of the Corahites arose to prayse the LORDE God of Israel wt loude voyce on hye.And they gat them vp early in ye mornynge, and wete forth by the wyldernesse of Thekoa. And whan they were goynge out, Iosaphat stode, & sayde: Herke vnto me O Iuda, & ye indwellers of Ierusale: Put youre trust in the LORDE yor God, & ye shal be safe: and geue credence vnto his prophetes, & ye shall prospere.And he gaue councell vnto ye people, and appoynted the syngers vnto ye LORDE, and them that gaue prayse in the bewtye of holynes to go before the harnessed me, & to saye: O geue thankes vnto the LORDE, for his mercy endureth for euer.And whan they beganne to geue thankes and prayse, the LORDE caused the hynder watch that was come agaynst Iuda, to come vpon the childre of Ammon, Moab & them of mount Seir, and they smote them.Then stode the children of Ammon & Moab agaynst them of mount Seir, to damne them, and to destroye them. And whan they had destroyed them of mount Seir, one helped another to destroye them selues also.And whan Iuda came to Mispa vnto the wyldernes, they turned them towarde the multitude, and beholde, the deed bodies laye vpo the earth, so that none was escaped.And Iosaphat came with his people to deuyde the spoyles of them. And they founde amonge them so moch goodes and rayment and precious Iewels (which they toke from them) that they coulde not beare them. And thre dayes were they deuydinge the spoyle, for it was so moch.On the fourth daye came they together into the valley of blessynge: for there blessed they the LORDE. Therfore is the place called the valley of blessinge vnto this daye.So euery man of Iuda & Ierusalem turned back agayne, & Iosaphat before them, to go to Ierusale with ioye: for ye LORDE had geuen them gladnesse on their enemies.And they entred in to Ierusalem with psalteries, harpes & trompettes vnto the house of the LORDE.And there came a feare of God ouer all the kyngdomes in the londes, whan they herde that the LORDE had foughte agaynst ye enemies of Israel.Thus was ye kyngdome of Iosaphat in quyetnes, & God gaue him rest on euery syde.
Then Daniel answered Melassar, whom the chefe chamberlayne had set ouer Daniel, Ananias, Misael and Asarias, and sayde:O proue but ten dayes with thy seruauntes, and let vs haue potage to eate, and water to drynke:
But whan Achab herde these wordes, he rete his clothes, & put a sack cloth on his body, & fasted, and slepte in sack cloth, and wente aboute hanginge downe his heade.
And the children of Israel arose, and wente vp to the house of God (in Silo) and axed at God, and sayde: Who shall go vp for vs to beginne the battayll with ye children of BenIamin? The LORDE saide: Iuda shall begynne.So the children of Israel gat the vp in ye mornige, & pitched ouer agaist Gibea,& euery man of Israel wete out to fighte with Ben Iamin, and set them selues in araye to fighte agaynst Gibea.Then fell the children of Ben Iamin out of Gibea, and slewe the same daye amonge Israel two & twentye thousande to the grounde.But the people of the men of Israel comforted them selues, and made them ready to fighte yet more in the same place, after they had prepared them selues the daye afore.And the children of Israel wente vp, and wepte before the LORDE vntyll the euenynge, and axed at the LORDE, & sayde: Shall we go enymore to fighte with oure brethren the children of Ben Iamin? The LORDE sayde: Go vp vnto them.And whan the children of Israel gat them vp to the childre of Ben Iamin on ye next daye,the Ben Iamites fell out of Gibea agaynst them the same daye, and slewe yet eightene thousande of ye children of Israel to the grounde, which all drue the swerde.Then wente all the children of Israel vp, and all the people, and came to the house of God, and wepte, and taried there before the LORDE, & fasted that daye vntyll the euen, and offred burntofferynges and deedofferinges before the LORDE.
And when he had fasted fourtye dayes and fourtye nightes, he was afterward an hungred.And the tepter came to him and sayde: yf thou be the sonne of God, commaunde, that these stones be made breed.He answered & sayde: yt is wrytte: Man shall not lyue by bred onlye, but by euery worde that proceadeth out of the mouth of God.
Then yf thou callest, the LORDE shal answere the: yf thou criest, he shal saye: here I am. Yee yf thou layest awaye thy burthens, and holdest thy fyngers, and ceasest from blasphemous talkinge,yf thou hast compassion vpon the hongrie, and refre?shest ye troubled soule: Then shal thy light springe out in the darknesse, and thy darknesse shalbe as the noone daye.
Proclame a fastynge, call the cogregacion, gather the elders & all the inhabiters of the londe together into the house of the LORDE yor God, & crie vnto the LORDE:alas, alas for this daye. And why? the daye of the LORDE is at honde, and commeth as a destroyer from the Allmightie.Shal not ye meates be taken awaye before oure eyes, the myrth also & ioye from the house of oure God?
And it was cried and commaunded in Niniue, by the auctorite of the kige and his lordes, sayenge: se that nether man or beest, oxe or shepe taist ought at all: and that they nether fede ner drincke water:but put on sack cloth both man and beest, and crye mightely vnto God: yee se that euery man turne fro his euell waye, and from the wickednesse, yt he hath in honde.Who can tell? God maye turne, and repete, and cease from his fearce wrath, that we perish not.And when God sawe their workes, how they turned from their wicked wayes: he repented on the euell, which he sayde he wolde do vnto them, and dyd it not.
and stode vp in their place, and red in the boke of the lawe of the LORDE their God foure tymes on the daye, and they knowleged, and worshipped the LORDE their God foure tymes on the daye.
And Nathan wente home. As for the childe which Vrias wife bare vnto Dauid, the LORDE smote it, so that it was deedsicke.And Dauid besoughte God for the childe, and fasted, and wente in, and laie all nighte vpon the earth.
So the kynge wente in to his palace, and kepte him sober all night, so that there was no table spred before him, nether coude he take eny slepe.But be tymes in the mornynge at the breake off the daye, the kynge arose, and wente in all haist vnto the denne off the Lyons.Now as he came nye vnto ye dene, he cried wt a piteous voyce vnto Daniel: Yee ye kige spake, and sayde vnto Daniel: O Daniel, thou seruaunt off the lyuynge God, Is not thy God (whom thou allwaye seruest) able to delyuer the from the lyons?Daniel sayde vnto the kynge: O kynge, God saue thy life for euer:My God hath sent his angel, which hath shut the lyons mouthes, so that they might not hurte me. For why: myne vngiltynesse is founde out before him. And as for the (o kynge) I neuer offended the.Then was the kynge exceadinge glad, ad commaunded to take Daniel out off the denne. So Daniel was brought out of the dene, and no maner of hurte was founde vpo him For he put his trust in his God.And as for those men which had accused Daniel, the kige commaunded to bringe them, and to cast them in the lyons denne: them, their children and their wyues. So the lyons had the mastry of them, and brake all their bones a sonder, or euer they came at the grounde.
& fourty dayes loge was he tepted of ye deuell. And in those dayes ate he nothinge. And whan they were ended, he hongred afterwarde.
And immediatly there fell from his eyes as it had bene scales, and he receaued his sighte, and rose, and was baptysed,and toke meate, and was conforted.Then was Saul a certayne dayes with the disciples that were at Damascon.
And E?dras stode vp before the house of God, and wente in to the chamber of Iohanan the sonne of Eliasab. And whan he came thither, he ate no bred, and dranke no water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had bene in captiuyte.And they caused a proclamacion be made thorow out Iuda and Ierusalem, vnto all the children which had bene in captiuite, yt they shulde gather them selues together vnto Ierusale:And that who soeuer came not within thre dayes acordinge to the deuyce of the rulers and Elders, all his substaunce shulde be forfett, and he put out from the cogregacion of the captiue.
Now therfore saieth the LORDE: Turne you vnto me with all youre hertes, with fastinge, wepynge and mournynge:
In the thirde yeare of kinge Cirus of Persia, there was shewed vnto Daniel (otherwise called Balthasar) a matter, yee a true matter, but it is yet a longe tyme vnto it. He vnderstode the matter well, and perceaued what the vision was.At the same tyme, I Daniel mourned for the space of thre wekes,so that I had no lust to eate bred: as for flesh and wyne, there came none within my mouth: No, I dyd not ones anoynte my self, till the whole thre wekes were out.
Euery one that proueth mastrye, absteyneth from all thinges, and they do it, that they maye optayne a corruptible crowne, but we to optayne an vncorruptible crowne.I therfore so runne, not as at an vncertayne thinge: So fighte I, not as one yt beateth ye ayre:but I tame my body, and brynge it in to subieccion, lest whan I preach vnto other: I my selfe be a cast awaye.
I prayed before the LORDE my God, and knowleged, sayenge: O LORDE, thou greate & fearfull God, thou that kepest couenaunt and mercy with them, which loue the, and do thy commaundementes:We haue synned, we haue offended, we haue bene disobedient and gone backe: yee we haue departed from all thy preceptes and iudgmentes.We wolde neuer folowe thy seruauntes the prophetes, that spake in thy name to oure kynges and prynces to oure forefathers, and to all the people off the londe.
But they sayde vnto him: Wherfore fast ye disciples of Iho so of, & praye so moch, & the disciples of the Pharises likewyse, but yi disciples eate and drynke?