¹⁶ So David made prayer to God for the child; and he took no food day after day, and went in and, stretching himself out on the earth, was there all night.

³¹ Then the king got up in great grief, stretching himself out on the earth: and all his servants were by his side, with their clothing parted.

⁹ And for three days he was not able to see, and he took no food or drink.

⁹ Who may say that God will not be turned, changing his purpose and turning away from his burning wrath, so that destruction may not overtake us?

¹⁶ Lord, in trouble our eyes have been turned to you, we sent up a prayer when your punishment was on us.

¹² And in that day the Lord, the Lord of armies, was looking for weeping, and cries of sorrow, cutting off of the hair, and putting on the clothing of grief:

¹⁰ My bitter weeping, and my going without food, were turned to my shame.

¹⁵ Let your voice come up to me in the day of trouble; I will be your saviour, so that you may give glory to me.

¹² Though evil-doing is sweet in his mouth, and he keeps it secretly under his tongue;

¹³ Though he takes care of it, and does not let it go, but keeps it still in his mouth;

¹⁴ His food becomes bitter in his stomach; the poison of snakes is inside him.

¹⁶ Go, get together all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and go without food for me, taking no food or drink night or day for three days: and I and my women will do the same; and so I will go in to the king, which is against the law: and if death is to be my fate, then let it come.

²⁷ Hearing these words, Ahab, in great grief, put haircloth on his flesh and went without food, sleeping in haircloth, and going about quietly.

²² And he said, While the child was still living I went without food and gave myself up to weeping: for I said, Who is able to say that the Lord will not have mercy on me and give the child life?

¹² But even now, says the Lord, come back to me with all your heart, keeping from food, with weeping and with sorrow:

¹³ Let your hearts be broken, and not your clothing, and come back to the Lord your God: for he is full of grace and pity, slow to be angry and great in mercy, ready to be turned from his purpose of punishment.

¹⁴ May it not be that he will again let his purpose be changed and let a blessing come after him, even a meal offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God?