¹⁶ David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.

³¹ Then the king arose, and rent his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent.

⁹ And he was three days without sight, and did neither eat nor drink.

⁹ Who knoweth whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

¹⁶ Jehovah, in trouble have they visited thee; they poured out a prayer `when' thy chastening was upon them.

¹² And in that day did the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:

¹⁰ When I wept, `and chastened' my soul with fasting, That was to my reproach.

¹⁵ And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

¹² Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, Though he hide it under his tongue,

¹³ Though he spare it, and will not let it go, But keep it still within his mouth;

¹⁴ Yet his food in his bowels is turned, It is the gall of asps within him.

¹⁶ Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast in like manner; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

²⁷ And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

²² And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who knoweth whether Jehovah will not be gracious to me, that the child may live?

¹² Yet even now, saith Jehovah, turn ye unto me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

¹³ and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto Jehovah your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

¹⁴ Who knoweth whether he will not turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal-offering and a drink-offering unto Jehovah your God?