Girdyourselves[with sackcloth] And lament,O priests;Wail,O ministersof the altar!Come,spendthe nightin sackclothO ministersof my God,For the grain offeringand the drinkofferingAre withheldfrom the houseof your God.
Davidtherefore inquiredof Godfor the child;and Davidfastedand wentand layall nighton the ground.
It cameabout when Ahabheardthesewords,that he torehis clothesand puton sackclothand fasted,and he layin sackclothand wentabout despondently.
Therefore in that daythe LordGODof hostscalled[you] to weeping,to wailing,To shavingthe headand to wearingsackcloth.
But you will be calledthe priestsof the LORD;You will be spokenof [as] ministersof our God.You will eatthe wealthof nations,And in their richesyou will boast.
"For this,puton sackcloth,Lamentand wail;For the fierceangerof the LORDHas not turnedbackfrom us."
"For the mountainsI will takeup a weepingand wailing,And for the pasturesof the wildernessa dirge,Becausethey are laidwastesothat noonepassesthrough,And the lowingof the cattleis not heard;Boththe birdsof the skyand the beastshave fled;they are gone.
"Cryout and wail,sonof man;for it is against My people,it is against allthe officialsof Israel.They are deliveredover to the swordwith My people,thereforestrike[your] thigh.
"Also they will makethemselves baldfor you And girdthemselves with sackcloth;And they will weepfor you in bitternessof soulWith bittermourning.
They will girdthemselves with sackclothand shudderingwill overwhelmthem; and shame[will be] on allfacesand baldnesson alltheir heads.
Whatwill you doon the dayof the appointedfestivalAnd on the dayof the feastof the LORD?
"Yet evennow,"declaresthe LORD,"Returnto Me with allyour heart,And with fasting,weepingand mourning;
Whoknowswhether He will [not] turnand relentAnd leavea blessingbehindHim, [Even] a grain offeringand a drinkofferingFor the LORDyour God?
Let the priests,the LORD'Sministers,Weepbetweenthe porchand the altar,And let them say,"SpareYour people,O LORD,And do not makeYour inheritancea reproach,A bywordamong the nations.Whyshould they among the peoplessay,Whereis their God?'"
Their drinkofferingsshall be halfa hinof winefor a bulland a thirdof a hinfor the ramand a fourthof a hinfor a lamb;thisis the burntofferingof each monththroughout the monthsof the year.
You shall offerthe onelambin the morningand the otherlambyou shall offerat twilight;
Then the drinkofferingwith it [shall be] a fourthof a hinfor eachlamb,in the holyplace you shall pourout a drinkofferingof strongdrinkto the LORD.
besidesthe burntofferingof the newmoonand its grain offering,and the continualburntofferingand its grain offering,and their drinkofferings,according to their ordinance,for a soothingaroma,an offeringby fireto the LORD.
Let a manregardus in this manner,as servantsof Christand stewardsof the mysteriesof God.
Do you not knowthat thosewho performsacred serviceseatthe [food] of the temple,[and] thosewho attend regularlyto the altarhave their sharefrom the altar?
Are they servantsof Christ?--I speakas if insane--I more so;in far morelabors,in far moreimprisonments,beatentimes without number,oftenin danger of death.
whoalsomade us adequate[as] servantsof a newcovenant,not of the letterbut of the Spirit;for the letterkills,but the Spiritgives life.
but in everythingcommendingourselvesas servantsof God,in muchendurance,in afflictions,in hardships,in distresses,
"And I will grant[authority] to my twowitnesses,and they will prophesyfor twelvehundredand sixtydays,clothedin sackcloth."
