speakingto the priestswhobelong to the houseof the LORDof hosts,and to the prophets,saying,"Shall I weepin the fifthmonthand abstain,as I have donethesemanyyears?"
Now when the buildershad laidthe foundationof the templeof the LORD,the priestsstoodin their apparelwith trumpets,and the Levites,the sonsof Asaph,with cymbals,to praisethe LORDaccordingto the directionsof KingDavidof Israel.
A timeto weepand a timeto laugh;A timeto mournand a timeto dance.
My peopleare destroyedfor lackof knowledge.Becauseyou have rejectedknowledge,I also will rejectyou from being My priest.Since you have forgottenthe lawof your God,I alsowill forgetyour children.
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?'"
"Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,Asknowthe priests[for] a ruling:
Then the wordof the LORDof hostscameto me, saying,
"Sayto allthe peopleof the landand to the priests,'Whenyou fastedand mournedin the fifthand seventhmonths theseseventyyears,was it actuallyfor Me that you fasted?
"Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,'The fastof the fourth,the fastof the fifth,the fastof the seventhand the fastof the tenth[months] will becomejoy,gladness,and cheerfulfeastsfor the houseof Judah;so lovetruthand peace.'
"For the lipsof a priestshould preserveknowledge,and men should seekinstructionfrom his mouth;for he is the messengerof the LORDof hosts.
And Jesussaidto them, "The attendantsof the bridegroomcannotmournas longas the bridegroomis with them, can they? But the dayswill comewhenthe bridegroomis taken awayfrom them, and thenthey will fast.
Stopdeprivingone another,exceptby agreementfor a time,sothat you may devote yourselvesto prayer,and cometogetheragainsothat Satanwill not temptyou becauseof your lack of self-control.
"They shall teachYour ordinancesto Jacob,And Your lawto Israel.They shall putincensebeforeYou, And wholeburntofferingson Your altar.
