Then I proclaimeda fastthereat the riverof Ahava,that we might humbleourselves beforeour Godto seekfrom Him a safejourneyfor us, our littleones,and allour possessions.
Jehoshaphatwas afraidand turnedhis attentionto seekthe LORD,and proclaimeda fastthroughoutallJudah.
Consecratea fast,Proclaima solemnassembly;Gatherthe elders[And] allthe inhabitantsof the landTo the houseof the LORDyour God,And cryout to the LORD.
Your earswill heara wordbehindyou, "Thisis the way,walkin it," wheneveryou turnto the rightor to the left.
They gatheredto Mizpah,and drewwaterand pouredit out beforethe LORD,and fastedon that dayand saidthere,"We have sinnedagainst the LORD."And Samueljudgedthe sonsof Israelat Mizpah.
Then the peopleof Ninevehbelievedin God;and they calleda fastand puton sackclothfrom the greatestto the leastof them.
"[This] shall be a permanentstatutefor you: in the seventhmonth,on the tenthday of the month,you shall humbleyour soulsand not doanywork,whether the native,or the alienwho sojournsamongyou;
"Ifthere is anypersonwhowill not humblehimself on thissameday,he shall be cutofffrom his people.
"For the promiseis for you and your childrenand for allwhoare far off,as manyas the Lordour Godwill callto Himself."
"I will leadthe blindby a waythey do not know,In pathsthey do not knowI will guidethem. I will makedarknessinto lightbeforethem And ruggedplacesinto plains.Theseare the thingsI will do,And I will not leavethem undone."
O LORD,leadme in Your righteousnessbecauseof my foes;MakeYour waystraightbeforeme.
Now I assembledthem at the riverthat runsto Ahava,wherewe campedfor threedays;and when I observedthe peopleand the priests,I did not findanyLevitesthere.
I know,O LORD,that a man'swayis not in himself,Noris it in a manwho walksto directhis steps.
"Is it a fastlike thiswhich I choose,a dayfor a manto humblehimself?Is it for bowingone's headlike a reedAnd for spreadingout sackclothand ashesas a bed? Will you callthisa fast,even an acceptabledayto the LORD?
Whyhave we fastedand You do not see?[Why] have we humbledourselvesand You do not notice?'Behold,on the dayof your fastyou find[your] desire,And drivehardallyour workers.
"They will not hungeror thirst,Norwill the scorchingheator sunstrikethem down;For He who hascompassionon them will leadthem And will guidethem to springsof water.
In allyour waysacknowledgeHim, And He will makeyour pathsstraight.
Then allthe sonsof Israeland allthe peoplewentup and cameto Betheland wept;thus they remainedtherebeforethe LORDand fastedthat dayuntilevening.And they offeredburntofferingsand peaceofferingsbeforethe LORD.
"It is to be a sabbathof solemnrestfor you, that you may humbleyour souls;it is a permanentstatute.
A highwaywill be there,a roadway,And it will be calledthe Highwayof Holiness.The uncleanwill not travelon it, But it [will] be for him who walks[that] way,And foolswill not wander[on it].
From the mouthof infantsand nursingbabesYou have establishedstrengthBecauseof Your adversaries,To make the enemyand the revengefulcease.
Then we journeyedfrom the riverAhavaon the twelfthof the firstmonthto goto Jerusalem;and the handof our Godwas overus, and He deliveredus from the handof the enemyand the ambushesby the way.
Your children,however, whomyou saidwould becomea prey--I will bringthem in, and they will knowthe landwhichyou have rejected.
"Whyis the LORDbringingus into thisland,to fallby the sword?Our wivesand our littleoneswill becomeplunder;would it not be betterfor us to returnto Egypt?"
He issueda proclamationand it said,"In Ninevehby the decreeof the kingand his nobles:Do not let man,beast,herd,or flocktastea thing.Do not let them eator drinkwater.
So Judahgatheredtogether to seekhelp from the LORD;they evencamefrom allthe citiesof Judahto seekthe LORD.
Now on the twenty-fourthdayof thismonththe sonsof Israelassembledwith fasting,in sackclothand with dirtupon them.
"Go,assembleallthe Jewswho are foundin Susa,and fastfor me; do not eator drinkfor threedays,nightor day.I and my maidensalsowill fastin the sameway.And thusI will goin to the king,whichis not according to the law;and ifI perish,I perish."
Thereis nothingreliablein whatthey say;Their inwardpartis destruction[itself]. Their throatis an opengrave;They flatterwith their tongue.
By the riversof Babylon,Therewe satdownand wept,When we rememberedZion.
that the LORDyour Godmay tellus the wayin whichwe should walkand the thingthat we should do."
So I gavemy attentionto the LordGodto seek[Him by] prayerand supplications,with fasting,sackclothand ashes.
