So I prayed to the Lord God. I begged him. I made many appeals to him. I didn’t eat anything. I put on the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad. And I sat down in ashes.

我便禁食，披麻蒙灰，定意向主神祈祷恳求。

我面向主上帝，禁食，披麻蒙灰，恳切祷告祈求。

我面向主神，禁食，披麻蒙灰，恳切祷告祈求。

我便禁食，身披麻衣，头蒙灰尘，向主上帝祷告祈求。

于是我转向主神，禁食，披麻蒙灰，藉祈祷和恳求寻求他。

于是我转向主耶和华，以祷告、恳求、禁食、披麻蒙灰来寻求他。

我便禁食，披麻蒙灰，定意向主神祈禱懇求。

我面向主上帝，禁食，披麻蒙灰，懇切禱告祈求。

我面向主神，禁食，披麻蒙灰，懇切禱告祈求。

我便禁食，身披麻衣，頭蒙灰塵，向主上帝禱告祈求。

於是我轉向主神，禁食，披麻蒙灰，藉祈禱和懇求尋求他。

我便以禁食麻布爐灰咬緊牙根而向主上帝尋求、禱告、懇求。

於是我轉向主耶和華，以禱告、懇求、禁食、披麻蒙灰來尋求他。

我決意以禱告祈求、禁食衣麻蒙灰、尋主上帝、

我禁食衣麻蒙灰、仰首禱告我主上帝、

我禁食衣麻蒙灰、向主天主祈禱懇求、

So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.

Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes.

So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek him by prayer and petitions, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

So I gave my attention to the Lord God, to seek Him by prayer and pleading, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petitions, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

So I turned my attention to the Lord God to implore him by prayer and requests, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and petitions, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

Call out to me. I will answer you. I will tell you great things you do not know. And unless I do, you wouldn’t be able to find out about them.”

The Lord says,“ You will be forced to live in Babylon for 70 years. After they are over, I will come to you. My good promise to you will come true. I will bring you back home.I know the plans I have for you,” announces the Lord.“ I want you to enjoy success. I do not plan to harm you. I will give you hope for the years to come.Then you will call out to me. You will come and pray to me. And I will listen to you.When you look for me with all your heart, you will find me.

So confess your sins to one another. Pray for one another so that you might be healed. The prayer of a godly person is powerful. Things happen because of it.Elijah was a human being, just as we are. He prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain. And it didn’t rain on the land for three and a half years.Then he prayed again. That time it rained. And the earth produced its crops.

When I heard about these things, I sat down and wept. For several days I was very sad. I didn’t eat any food. And I prayed to the God of heaven.I said,“ Lord, you are the God of heaven. You are a great and wonderful God. You keep the covenant you made with those who love you and obey your commandments. You show them your love.Please pay careful attention to my prayer. See how your people are suffering. Please listen to me. I’m praying to you day and night. I’m praying for the people of Israel. We Israelites have committed sins against you. All of us admit it. I and my family have also sinned against you.We’ve done some very evil things. We haven’t obeyed the commands, rules and laws you gave your servant Moses.“ Remember what you told him. You said,‘ If you people are not faithful, I will scatter you among the nations.But if you return to me, I will bring you back. If you obey my commands, I will gather you together again. I will bring you back from the farthest places on earth. I will bring you to the special place where I have chosen to put my Name.’“ Lord, they are your people. They serve you. You used your great strength and mighty hand to set them free from Egypt.Lord, please pay careful attention to my prayer. Listen to the prayers of all of us. We take delight in bringing honor to your name. Give me success today when I bring my request to King Artaxerxes.” I was the king’s wine taster.

Then I got up. I had been very sad for quite a while. My inner robe and my coat were torn. I fell down on my knees. I spread my hands out to the Lord my God.

Then Ezra left the house of God. He went to Jehohanan’s room. Jehohanan was the son of Eliashib. While Ezra was there, he didn’t eat any food. He didn’t drink any water. That’s because he was filled with sadness. He mourned because the people weren’t faithful to the Lord’ s commands. Those people were the ones who had returned from the land of Babylon.

“ Go. Gather together all the Jews who are in Susa. And fast for my benefit. Don’t eat or drink anything for three days. Don’t do it night or day. I and my attendants will fast just as you do. Then I’ll go to the king. I’ll do it even though it’s against the law. And if I have to die, I’ll die.”

By the canal that flows toward Ahava, I announced a fast. I told the people not to eat any food. In that way, we made ourselves humble in God’s sight. We prayed that he would give us and our children a safe journey. We asked him to keep safe everything we owned.

You will rise up and show deep concern for Zion. The time has come for you to help Zion.The stones of your destroyed city are priceless to us. Even its dust brings deep concern to us.The nations will worship the Lord. All the kings on earth will respect his glorious power.The Lord will build Zion again. He will appear in his glory.He will answer the prayer of those who don’t have anything. He won’t say no to their cry for help.

Daniel found out that the king had signed the order. In spite of that, he did just as he had always done before. He went home to his upstairs room. Its windows opened toward Jerusalem. He went to his room three times a day to pray. He got down on his knees and gave thanks to his God.

But when they were sick, I put on the clothing of sadness. I made myself humble by going without food. My prayers for them weren’t always answered.

Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh. He got up from his throne. He took off his royal robes. He also dressed himself in the clothing of sadness. And then he sat down in the dust.Here is the message he sent out to the people of Nineveh.“ I and my nobles give this order. Don’t let people or animals taste anything. That includes your herds and flocks. People and animals must not eat or drink anything.Let people and animals alike be covered with the clothing of sadness. All of you must call out to God with all your hearts. Stop doing what is evil. Don’t harm others.Who knows? God might take pity on us. He might not be angry with us anymore. Then we won’t die.”

When I weep and go without eating, they laugh at me.When I put on rough clothing to show how sad I am, people make jokes about me.

The Lord who rules over all called out to you at that time. The Lord told you to weep and cry. He told you to tear your hair out. And he told you to put on the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad.

Cornelius answered,“ Three days ago at this very hour I was in my house praying. It was three o’clock in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood in front of me.

The Lord and King says,“ Once again I will answer Israel’s prayer. Here is what I will do for them. I will multiply them as if they were sheep.

Mordecai found out about everything that had been done. So he tore his clothes. He put on the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad. He sat down in ashes. Then he went out into the city. He wept out loud. He cried bitter tears.But he only went as far as the palace gate. That’s because no one dressed in that rough clothing was allowed to go through it.All the Jews were very sad. They didn’t eat anything. They wept and cried. Many of them put on the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad. They were lying down in ashes. They did all these things in every territory where the king’s order and law had been sent.

The Lord announces to his people,“ Return to me with all your heart. There is still time. Do not eat any food. Weep and mourn.”

Priests, put on the clothing of sadness and mourn. Cry, you who serve at the altar. Come, you who serve my God in the temple. Spend the night dressed in the clothes of sadness. Weep because no one brings grain offerings and drink offerings to the house of your God anymore.

Then she was a widow until she was 84. She never left the temple. She worshiped night and day, praying and going without food.

At that time I was very sad for three weeks.I didn’t eat any rich food. No meat or wine touched my lips. I didn’t use any lotions at all until the three weeks were over.

It was the 24th day of the seventh month. The Israelites gathered together again. They didn’t eat any food. They wore the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad. They put dust on their heads.

Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners. Make your hearts pure, you who can’t make up your minds.Be full of sorrow. Cry and weep. Change your laughter to mourning. Change your joy to sadness.Be humble in front of the Lord. And he will lift you up.