Between the porch and the altar the priests the Lord's ministers shall weep, and shall say: Spare, O Lord, spare thy people: and give not thy inheritance to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them. Why should they say among the nations: Where is their God?
Gird yourselves, and lament, O ye priests, howl, ye ministers of the altars: go in, lie in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: because sacrifice and libation is cut off from the house of your God.
And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation: and I will bring up sackcloth upon every back of yours, and baldness upon every head: and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the latter end thereof as a bitter day.
And the word came to the king of Ninive; and he rose up out of his throne, and cast away his robe from him, and was clothed with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
The house is gone up, and Dibon to the high places, to mourn over Nabo: and over Medaba Moab hath howled. On all their heads shall be baldness, and every beard shall be shaven.
He hath made all things good in their time, and hath delivered the world to their consideration, so that man cannot find out the work which God hath made from the beginning to the end.
Particularly Jeremias: whose lamentations for Josias all the singing men and singing women repeat unto this day. And it became like a law in Israel: Behold, it is found written in the Lamentations.
And instead of a sweet smell, there shall be stench: and instead of a girdle, a cord. And instead of curled hair, baldness: and instead of a stomacher, haircloth.
Let us have pity on the wicked: but he will not learn justice. In the land of the saints he hath done wicked things: and he shall not see the glory of the Lord.
Why have we fasted: and thou hast not regarded? Have we humbled our souls: and thou hast not taken notice? Behold, in the day of your fast your own will is found: and you exact of all your debtors.
Both the great and the little shall die in the land. They shall not be buried nor lamented: and men shall not cut themselves nor make themselves bald for them.
And they shall shave themselves bald for thee and shall be girded with haircloth: and they shall weep for thee with bitterness of soul, with most bitter weeping.
Rejoice not, O Israel: rejoice not as the nations do: for thou hast committed fornication against thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor.
AND it came to pass, when king Ezechias had heard it, that he rent his garments and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord.
And he sent Eliacim, who was over the house, and Sobna the scribe, and the ancients of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaias the son of Amos the prophet.