“ Speak to all the people and priests of the land as follows:‘ When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and seventh months through all these seventy years, did you truly fast for me– for me, indeed?

“你要宣告国内的众民和祭司，说：‘你们这七十年，在五月、七月禁食悲哀，岂是丝毫向我禁食吗？

“你要向这地全体百姓和祭司说：‘你们这七十年来，在五月、七月禁食悲哀，岂是真的向我禁食吗？

“你要向这地全体百姓和祭司说：‘你们这七十年来，在五月、七月禁食悲哀，岂是真的向我禁食吗？

“你要对境内的民众和祭司说，‘七十年来，你们在五月和七月禁食、哀伤，难道真的是为了我吗？

“你要告诉这地的人民和祭司说：‘这七十年来，你们在五月和七月禁食哀哭，岂是真的为我禁食呢？

「你要宣告國內的眾民和祭司，說：『你們這七十年，在五月、七月禁食悲哀，豈是絲毫向我禁食嗎？

「你要向這地全體百姓和祭司說：『你們這七十年來，在五月、七月禁食悲哀，豈是真的向我禁食嗎？

「你要向這地全體百姓和祭司說：『你們這七十年來，在五月、七月禁食悲哀，豈是真的向我禁食嗎？

「你要對境內的民眾和祭司說，『七十年來，你們在五月和七月禁食、哀傷，難道真的是為了我嗎？

“你要告訴這地的人民和祭司說：‘這七十年來，你們在五月和七月禁食哀哭，豈是真的為我禁食呢？

『你要告訴國中的眾民和祭司說：你們這七十年在五月間和七月間禁食和舉哀，哪裏真是向我而禁食呢？

「你要對這地所有的民眾和祭司說：『這七十年來，你們在五月和七月禁食、哀哭，是真的為我禁食嗎？

其告斯土之民、及諸祭司曰、爾於五月七月、禁食哭泣、歷七十年、豈為我禁食乎、

云、爾歷七十年、五月七月間、禁食哭泣、豈為我乎、

當告國民與祭司曰、爾歷七十年、五月七月間、禁食哭泣、豈為我禁食乎、

“ Ask all the people of the land and the priests,‘ When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted?

“ Ask the priests and all the people in the land a question for me. Say to them,‘ You mourned and fasted in the fifth and seventh months. You did it for the past 70 years. But did you really do it for me?

“ Say to all the people of the land and the priests,‘ When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted?

“ Say to all your people and your priests,‘ During these seventy years of exile, when you fasted and mourned in the summer and in early autumn, was it really for me that you were fasting?

“ Ask all the people of the land and the priests: When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and in the seventh months for these seventy years, did you really fast for me?

“ Say to all the people of the land and to the priests,‘ When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted?

“ Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests:‘ When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me— for Me?

Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month, even these seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?

“ Ask all the people of the land and the priests: When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and in the seventh months for these 70 years, did you really fast for Me?

Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh[ month], even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me,[ even] to me?

“ Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying,‘ When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month for these seventy years, did you at all fast to me, really to me?

The angel of the LORD then asked,“ LORD who rules over all, how long before you have compassion on Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah which you have been so angry with for these seventy years?”

For the kingdom of God does not consist of food and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.For the one who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by people.

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.

“ Of what importance to me are your many sacrifices?” says the LORD.“ I am stuffed with burnt sacrifices of rams and the fat from steers. The blood of bulls, lambs, and goats I do not want.When you enter my presence, do you actually think I want this– animals trampling on my courtyards?

Look, your fasting is accompanied by arguments, brawls, and fistfights. Do not fast as you do today, trying to make your voice heard in heaven.Is this really the kind of fasting I want? Do I want a day when people merely humble themselves, bowing their heads like a reed and stretching out on sackcloth and ashes? Is this really what you call a fast, a day that is pleasing to the LORD?No, this is the kind of fast I want. I want you to remove the sinful chains, to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke, to set free the oppressed, and to break every burdensome yoke.

The one who observes the day does it for the Lord. The one who eats, eats for the Lord because he gives thanks to God, and the one who abstains from eating abstains for the Lord, and he gives thanks to God.For none of us lives for himself and none dies for himself.If we live, we live for the Lord; if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.For this reason Christ died and returned to life, so that he may be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

by asking both the priests of the temple of the LORD WHO RULES OVER ALL and the prophets,“ Should we weep in the fifth month, fasting as we have done over the years?”

Thus whenever you do charitable giving, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, they have their reward.

All of the officers of the Judahite army and their troops heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah to govern. So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. The officers who came were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite.

This whole area will become a desolate wasteland. These nations will be subject to the king of Babylon for seventy years.’

“ Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward.

“ The LORD who rules over all says,‘ The fast of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months will become joyful and happy, pleasant feasts for the house of Judah, so love truth and peace.’

They do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries wide and their tassels long.

Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people,

In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.“ Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them.I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter will pass from the law until everything takes place.

And now when you eat and drink, are you not doing so for yourselves?’”

“ When you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, they have their reward.

And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised.

But in the seventh month Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah and grandson of Elishama who was a member of the royal family and had been one of Zedekiah’s chief officers, came with ten of his men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating a meal together with him there at Mizpah,Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him stood up, pulled out their swords, and killed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan. Thus Ishmael killed the man that the king of Babylon had appointed to govern the country.Ishmael also killed all the Judeans who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah and the Babylonian soldiers who happened to be there.On the day after Gedaliah had been murdered, before anyone even knew about it,