Daniel 6:18

“Man, who is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble.

She gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again was there such an abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

On that night, the king couldn’t sleep. He commanded the book of records of the chronicles to be brought, and they were read to the king.

but man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep went from him.

I am eighty years old, today. Can I discern between good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear the voice of singing men and singing women any more? Why then should your servant be a burden to my lord the king?

They came to Ophir, and fetched from there gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon.

When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. Now he was passing by on the wall, and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth underneath on his body.

I watch, and have become like a sparrow that is alone on the housetop.

Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the lamp.

I will cause the noise of your songs to cease. The sound of your harps won’t be heard any more.

I saw a dream which made me afraid; and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.

Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days.

When king Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into Yahweh’s house.

They were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them; for they cried to God in the battle, and he answered them, because they put their trust in him.

When this matter was investigated, and it was found to be so, they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the king’s presence.

All the acts of his power and of his might, and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?

Yahweh helps them and rescues them. He rescues them from the wicked and saves them, because they have taken refuge in him.

You hold my eyelids open. I am so troubled that I can’t speak.

He said, “You shall rejoice no more, you oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon. Arise, pass over to Kittim. Even there you will have no rest.”

You will keep whoever’s mind is steadfast in perfect peace, because he trusts in you.

The joy of our heart has ceased. Our dance is turned into mourning.

He answered, “Look, I see four men loose, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are unharmed. The appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

Then king Belshazzar was greatly troubled, and his face was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed.

Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep.

His brother’s name was Jubal, who was the father of all who handle the harp and pipe.

Abraham called the name of that place “Yahweh Will Provide”. As it is said to this day, “On Yahweh’s mountain, it will be provided.”

David said to Joab, and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, and clothe yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn in front of Abner.” King David followed the bier.

David therefore begged God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the ground.

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold,

David lifted up his eyes, and saw Yahweh’s angel standing between earth and the sky, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces.

They rose early in the morning, and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. As they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in Yahweh your God, so you will be established! Believe his prophets, so you will prosper.”

then you scare me with dreams, and terrify me through visions:

It is vain for you to rise up early, to stay up late, eating the bread of toil, for he gives sleep to his loved ones.

The fear of man proves to be a snare, but whoever puts his trust in Yahweh is kept safe.

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on the earth (even though eyes see no sleep day or night),

Let your garments be always white, and don’t let your head lack oil.

The harp, lyre, tambourine, and flute, with wine, are at their feasts; but they don’t respect the work of Yahweh, neither have they considered the operation of his hands.

The mirth of tambourines ceases. The sound of those who rejoice ends. The joy of the harp ceases.

The poor and needy seek water, and there is none. Their tongue fails for thirst. I, Yahweh, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

The king and his servants who heard all these words were not afraid, and didn’t tear their garments.

The king said to them, “I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.”

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head on his bed. Then he wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters.

I ate no pleasant bread. No meat or wine came into my mouth. I didn’t anoint myself at all, until three whole weeks were fulfilled.

Put on sackcloth and mourn, you priests! Wail, you ministers of the altar. Come, lie all night in sackcloth, you ministers of my God, for the meal offering and the drink offering are withheld from your God’s house.

Tear your heart, and not your garments, and turn to Yahweh, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity.

Then those who feared Yahweh spoke one with another; and Yahweh listened, and heard, and a book of memory was written before him, for those who feared Yahweh, and who honored his name.

But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face;

You didn’t anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.

Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out!

Why did you flee secretly, and deceive me, and didn’t tell me, that I might have sent you away with mirth and with songs, with tambourine and with harp;

After these things, the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord, the king of Egypt.

They both dreamed a dream, each man his dream, in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the cup bearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were bound in the prison.

At the end of two full years, Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he stood by the river.

He kissed all his brothers, and wept on them. After that his brothers talked with him.

When the people heard this evil news, they mourned; and no one put on his jewelry.

So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul’s head; and they went away: and no man saw it, or knew it, nor did any awake; for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from Yahweh had fallen on them.

Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king; and he had neither groomed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came home in peace.

When Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.

For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas, therefore have my words been rash.

When I lie down, I say, ‘When will I arise, and the night be gone?’ I toss and turn until the dawning of the day.

When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me. My couch will ease my complaint;’

I have sewed sackcloth on my skin, and have thrust my horn in the dust.

They sing to the tambourine and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe.

Therefore my harp has turned to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of those who weep.

On the willows in that land, we hung up our harps.

Praise him with tambourine and dancing! Praise him with stringed instruments and flute!

As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him.

As one who takes away a garment in cold weather, or vinegar on soda, so is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

I also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men: musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

In that day, the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, called to weeping, to mourning, to baldness, and to dressing in sackcloth;

and behold, joy and gladness, killing cattle and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: “Let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die.”

What will I say? He has both spoken to me, and himself has done it. I will walk carefully all my years because of the anguish of my soul.

Isn’t it to distribute your bread to the hungry, and that you bring the poor who are cast out to your house? When you see the naked, that you cover him; and that you not hide yourself from your own flesh?

men came from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even eighty men, having their beards shaved and their clothes torn, and having cut themselves, with meal offerings and frankincense in their hand, to bring them to Yahweh’s house.

The elders have ceased from the gate, and the young men from their music.

Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

The news reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

“Moreover when you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.

saying, “I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? You see to it.”

As he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was terrified, and answered, “Go your way for this time, and when it is convenient for me, I will summon you.”

Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you are also in the body.

Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom.

The voice of harpists, minstrels, flute players, and trumpeters will be heard no more at all in you. No craftsman, of whatever craft, will be found any more at all in you. The sound of a mill will be heard no more at all in you.