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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.
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
Therefore also now, saith YY , turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto YY your Elohim: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
And I set my face unto YY Elohim, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
As they ministered to YY , and fasted, Ruach HaKodesh said, Separate me Bar-Nabba and Shaul for the work whereunto I have called them.And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
So the people of Ninveh believed Elohim, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.For word came unto the king of Ninveh, and he arose from his Throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Ninveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto Elohim: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.Who can tell if Elohim will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?And Elohim saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and Elohim repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our Elohim, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our Elohim is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.So we fasted and besought our Elohim for this: and he was intreated of us.
And Yhoshafat feared, and set himself to seek YY , and proclaimed a fast throughout all Yhudah.And Yhudah gathered themselves together, to ask help of YY : even out of all the cities of Yhudah they came to seek YY .
And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the Elohim of heaven,
And Y'shuw`a being full of Ruach HaKodesh returned from Yarden, and was led by the Ruach into the wilderness,Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
And he was there with YY forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten Commandments.
And when they had ordained them elders in every Congregation, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to YY , on whom they believed.
But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.
And it came to pass, when Achav heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.And the word of YY came to Eliyah-yahu the Tishbite, saying,Seest thou how Achav humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.
Then came to him the talmidim of Yochanan, saying, Why do we and the Prushim fast oft, but thy talmidim fast not?And Y'shuw`a said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.
In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.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 YY ?
Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Yisrael were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.And the seed of Yisrael separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.
Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the kohanim, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?
And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before YY , and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against YY . And Shmuel judged the children of Yisrael in Mizpeh.
Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
David therefore besought Elohim for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the Torah: and if I perish, I perish.
Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of YY your Elohim, and cry unto YY ,
Then all the children of Yisrael, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of Elohim, and wept, and sat there before YY , and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before YY .
And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horev the mount of Elohim.
And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of Elohim.
Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.
So the people of Ninveh believed Elohim, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.
Thus saith YY -TZvaot; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Yhudah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.
But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
Blow the shofar in TZiyon, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the Elohim of heaven,And said, I beseech thee, O YY Elohim of heaven, the great and terrible Elohim, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe His Commandments:Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Yisrael thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Yisrael, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.
And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of YY , so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?
As they ministered to YY , and fasted, Ruach HaKodesh said, Separate me Bar-Nabba and Shaul for the work whereunto I have called them.
And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the Temple, but served Elohim with fastings and prayers night and day.
And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people:
And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Yisrael, and presenting my supplication before YY my Elohim for the holy mountain of my Elohim;Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gavriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.
And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Yhonatan his son, and for the people of YY , and for the house of Yisrael; because they were fallen by the sword.
Then all the children of Yisrael, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of Elohim, and wept, and sat there before YY , and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before YY .And the children of Yisrael enquired of YY , (for the ark of the covenant of Elohim was there in those days,And Pinchas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aharon, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Binyamin my brother, or shall I cease? And YY said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.
Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of YY your Elohim, and cry unto YY ,Alas for the day! for the day of YY is at hand, and as a destruction from El Shaddai shall it come.
But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
To confirm these days of Purim in their times appointed, according as Mordekhai the Jew and Ester the queen had enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry.
Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a shofar, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Yaakov their sins.Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their Elohim: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to Elohim.Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.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 YY ?Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of YY shall be thy reward.Then shalt thou call, and YY shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
Then was Y'shuw`a led up of the Ruach into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of Elohim, Command that these stones be made bread.But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of Elohim.
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.
Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living Elohim, is thy Elohim, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?
And Y'shuw`a said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.
For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.
And it came to pass in the fifth year of Yhoyakhim the son of Yoshiyah-yahu king of Yhudah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a fast before YY to all the people in Yerushalayim, and to all the people that came from the cities of Yhudah unto Yerushalayim.
For word came unto the king of Ninveh, and he arose from his Throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Ninveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto Elohim: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.Who can tell if Elohim will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
Then Ezra rose up from before the house of Elohim, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliyah-yahuhib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.
And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Yisrael were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.And the seed of Yisrael separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the Torah of YY their Elohim one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped YY their Elohim.
In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which YY made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water:
Then all the children of Yisrael, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of Elohim, and wept, and sat there before YY , and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before YY .And the children of Yisrael enquired of YY , (for the ark of the covenant of Elohim was there in those days,
And the men of Yisrael were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
But do thou for me, O Elohim YY , for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.
Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our Elohim, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.
But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto Elohim: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
And Moshe went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moshe was in the mount forty days and forty nights.
Then came to him the talmidim of Yochanan, saying, Why do we and the Prushim fast oft, but thy talmidim fast not?And Y'shuw`a said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
And in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
And Yhoshafat feared, and set himself to seek YY , and proclaimed a fast throughout all Yhudah.
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of YY shall be thy reward.Then shalt thou call, and YY shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:And YY shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the Elohim of heaven,And said, I beseech thee, O YY Elohim of heaven, the great and terrible Elohim, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe His Commandments:Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Yisrael thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Yisrael, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept The Commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou Commandedst thy servant Moshe.Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou Commandedst thy servant Moshe, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:But if ye turn unto me, and keep My Commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.O YY , I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.
Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.
And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before YY , and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against YY . And Shmuel judged the children of Yisrael in Mizpeh.And when the Plishtim heard that the children of Yisrael were gathered together to Mizpeh, YY s of the Plishtim went up against Yisrael. And when the children of Yisrael heard it, they were afraid of the Plishtim.And the children of Yisrael said to Shmuel, Cease not to cry unto YY our Elohim for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Plishtim.
And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto YY my Elohim,
And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,
And the man of Elohim said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place:For so was it charged me by the word of YY , saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.
Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy Elohim, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Mikhael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O Elohim.My soul thirsteth for Elohim, for the living Elohim: when shall I come and appear before Elohim?
And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people, and the kohanim, and found there none of the sons of Levi.Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for ElNatan, and for Jarib, and for ElNatan, and for Natan, and for Zkharyah-yahu, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for ElNatan, men of understanding.And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say unto Iddo, and to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our Elohim.And by the good hand of our Elohim upon us they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Yisrael; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;And Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Mrari, his brethren and their sons, twenty;Also of the Nethinims, whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Lvim, two hundred and twenty Nethinims: all of them were expressed by name.Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our Elohim, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our Elohim is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.So we fasted and besought our Elohim for this: and he was intreated of us.
Then was Y'shuw`a led up of the Ruach into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of Elohim, Command that these stones be made bread.But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of Elohim.Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the Temple,And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of Elohim, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.Y'shuw`a said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt YY thy Elohim.Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.Then saith Y'shuw`a unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship YY thy Elohim, and him only shalt thou serve.Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
And they said unto him, Why do the talmidim of Yochanan fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the talmidim of the Prushim; but thine eat and drink?And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
And the children of Yisrael enquired of YY , (for the ark of the covenant of Elohim was there in those days,And Pinchas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aharon, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Binyamin my brother, or shall I cease? And YY said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.
In the first year of Darius the son of Achashverosh, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of YY came to Yirmeyah-yahu the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Yerushalayim.And I set my face unto YY Elohim, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
And Natan departed unto his house. And YY struck the child that Uriay-yahu's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.David therefore besought Elohim for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of YY , and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether Elohim will be gracious to me, that the child may live?But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
Gird yourselves, and lament, ye kohanim: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my Elohim: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your Elohim.Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of YY your Elohim, and cry unto YY ,
And said, I beseech thee, O YY Elohim of heaven, the great and terrible Elohim, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe His Commandments:Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Yisrael thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Yisrael, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept The Commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou Commandedst thy servant Moshe.Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou Commandedst thy servant Moshe, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:But if ye turn unto me, and keep My Commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.O YY , I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.
When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.
And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:And YY shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.Now Elohim had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my YY the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people, and the kohanim, and found there none of the sons of Levi.
And David said to Evyatar the kohen, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Evyatar brought thither the ephod to David.And David enquired at YY , saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.
O Elohim, thou art my Elohim; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
And he prayed unto YY , and said, I pray thee, O YY , was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious Elohim, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.
O taste and see that YY is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.O fear YY , ye his holy ones: for there is no want to them that fear him.The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek YY shall not want any good thing.
My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of YY : my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living Elohim.
Oh that men would praise YY for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
And there was one Hannah, a prophetess, Bat-Pnuel, of the tribe of Asher: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the Temple, but served Elohim with fastings and prayers night and day.
Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our YY : neither be ye sorry; for the joy of YY is your strength.
Then will YY be jealous for his land, and pity his people.Yea, YY will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:
And Mordekhai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Achashverosh, both nigh and far,To stablish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly,As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.
Now there were in the Congregation that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Bar-Nabba, and Shimeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Menachem, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Shaul.As they ministered to YY , and fasted, Ruach HaKodesh said, Separate me Bar-Nabba and Shaul for the work whereunto I have called them.And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of YY , honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:Then shalt thou delight thyself in YY ; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Yaakov thy father: for the mouth of YY hath spoken it.
It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Yhoshafat to battle.Then there came some that told Yhoshafat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Ein-Gedi.And Yhoshafat feared, and set himself to seek YY , and proclaimed a fast throughout all Yhudah.And Yhudah gathered themselves together, to ask help of YY : even out of all the cities of Yhudah they came to seek YY .And Yhoshafat stood in the congregation of Yhudah and Yerushalayim, in the house of YY , before the new court,And said, O YY Elohim of our fathers, art not thou Elohim in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?Art not thou our Elohim, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Yisrael, and gavest it to the seed of Avraham thy friend for ever?And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Yisrael invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.O our Elohim, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.And all Yhudah stood before YY , with their little ones, their wives, and their children.Then upon YAHaziel the son of Zkharyah-yahu, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levi of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of YY in the midst of the congregation;And he said, Hearken ye, all Yhudah, and ye inhabitants of Yerushalayim, and thou king Yhoshafat, Thus saith YY unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but Elohim's.To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of YY with you, O Yhudah and Yerushalayim: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for YY will be with you.And Yhoshafat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Yhudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim fell before YY , worshipping YY .And the Lvim, of the children of the Khatites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise YY Elohim of Yisrael with a loud voice on high.And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Yhoshafat stood and said, Hear me, O Yhudah, and ye inhabitants of Yerushalayim; Believe in YY your Elohim, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto YY , and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise YY ; for his mercy endureth for ever.And when they began to sing and to praise, YY set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Yhudah; and they were smitten.For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.And when Yhudah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.And when Yhoshafat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed YY : therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day.Then they returned, every man of Yhudah and Yerushalayim, and Yhoshafat in the forefront of them, to go again to Yerushalayim with joy; for YY had made them to rejoice over their enemies.And they came to Yerushalayim with psalteries and harps and shofars unto the house of YY .And the fear of Elohim was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that YY fought against the enemies of Yisrael.So the realm of Yhoshafat was quiet: for his Elohim gave him rest round about.
Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.
And it came to pass, when Achav heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.
And the children of Yisrael arose, and went up to the house of Elohim, and asked counsel of Elohim, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Binyamin? And YY said, Yhudah shall go up first.And the children of Yisrael rose up in the morning, and encamped against Givah.And the men of Yisrael went out to battle against Binyamin; and the men of Yisrael put themselves in array to fight against them at Givah.And the children of Binyamin came forth out of Givah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Yisraelites that day twenty and two thousand men.And the people the men of Yisrael encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.(And the children of Yisrael went up and wept before YY until even, and asked counsel of YY , saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Binyamin my brother? And YY said, Go up against him.)And the children of Yisrael came near against the children of Binyamin the second day.And Binyamin went forth against them out of Givah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Yisrael again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.Then all the children of Yisrael, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of Elohim, and wept, and sat there before YY , and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before YY .
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of Elohim, Command that these stones be made bread.But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of Elohim.
Then shalt thou call, and YY shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:
Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of YY your Elohim, and cry unto YY ,Alas for the day! for the day of YY is at hand, and as a destruction from El Shaddai shall it come.Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our Elohim?
And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Ninveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto Elohim: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.Who can tell if Elohim will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?And Elohim saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and Elohim repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the Torah of YY their Elohim one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped YY their Elohim.
And Natan departed unto his house. And YY struck the child that Uriay-yahu's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.David therefore besought Elohim for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living Elohim, is thy Elohim, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.My Elohim hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his Elohim.And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.
Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was immersed.And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Shaul certain days with the talmidim which were at Dammesek.
Then Ezra rose up from before the house of Elohim, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliyah-yahuhib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.And they made proclamation throughout Yhudah and Yerushalayim unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Yerushalayim;And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.
Therefore also now, saith YY , turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
O Elohim, thou art my Elohim; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
And I prayed unto YY my Elohim, and made my confession, and said, O YY , the great and dreadful Elohim, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love Him, and to them that keep His Commandments;We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
And they said unto him, Why do the talmidim of Yochanan fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the talmidim of the Prushim; but thine eat and drink?