60 Bible Verses about Fasting

And so Jonathan arose from the table in a great anger and did eat no meat the second day of the month, for he was sorry for David, because his father had done him shame.

And David besought God for the boy and fasted and went and lay all night upon the earth.

And when all the people came to eat meat with David, while it was yet day, David sware, saying, "So do God to me and so thereto, if I taste bread or ought else till the sun be down."

and took their bones and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water and poured it out before the LORD and fasted the same day, and said there, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the causes of the children of Israel in Mizpeh.

And Jesus said unto them, "Can the wedding children mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The time will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.

Nevertheless, when they were sick, I put on sackcloth, and humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

I wept, and chastened myself with fasting, and that was turned to my reproof.

They seek of me righteous judgments, and will draw nigh unto God. Why have we fasted and thou hast not looked upon it? Have humbled our souls, and thou wouldest not wit it?

For though they fast, I will not hear their prayers. And though they offer burnt offerings and sacrifices, yet will not I accept them. For I will destroy them with the sword, hunger, and pestilence."

And now therefore saith the LORD: Turn to me with all your hearts, in fasting and lamentation.

But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face, that it appear not unto men how that thou fastest, but unto thy father which is in secret: and thy father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

Proclaim a fasting, call the congregation, gather the elders and all the inhabiters of the land together in to the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD.

Howbeit, this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."

Withdraw not yourselves one from another except it be with consent for a time, for to give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and afterward come again to the same thing, lest Satan tempt you for your incontinency.

And even there at the water beside Ahava, I proclaimed a fast, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and our children and all our substance.

And in all lands and places, as far as the king's word and commandment extended, there was great lamentation among the Jews and many fasted, wept, mourned and lay in sackcloth and in ashes.

'Go thou thy way then, and gather together all the Jews that are found at Susa, and fast ye for me, that ye eat not and drink not in three days, neither day nor night. I and my damsels will fast likewise, and so will I go in to the king contrary to the commandment: if I perish, I perish.'"

Then the children of Israel and all the people went up and came unto Bethel, and wept and sat there before the LORD, and fasted the same day unto evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

When Ahab heard those words, he rent his clothes and put sackcloth about his flesh and fasted, and lay in sack and went comfortless.

And he arose and did eat and drink and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights, unto Horeb the mount of God,

all the men of war arose and fetched away the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons and brought them to Jabesh and buried the bones of them under an oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights, and neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote in the tables the words of the covenant: even ten verses.

after that I was gone up into the mount, to fetch the tables of stone, the tables of covenant which the LORD made with you. And I abode in the hill forty days and forty nights and neither ate bread nor drank water.

And I fell before the LORD, even as at the first time - forty days and nights, and neither ate bread nor drank water - over all your sins which ye had sinned in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD and in provoking him.

And Ezra stood up before the house of God, and went in to the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib. And when he came thither, he ate no bread, nor drank water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been in captivity.

So the king went in to his palace, and kept him sober all night, so that there was no table spread before him, neither could he take any sleep.

In the four and twentieth day of this month came the children of Israel together with fasting, and sackcloth, and earth upon them,

Then was Jesus led away of the spirit into wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward a hungered.

And immediately the spirit drove him into a wilderness: and he was there in the wilderness forty days, and was tempted of Satan, and was with wild beasts. And the angels ministered unto him.

Jesus then full of the holy ghost, returned from Jordan, and was carried of the spirit into a wilderness, and was forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days ate he nothing: And when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

And I fell before the LORD, even as at the first time - forty days and nights, and neither ate bread nor drank water - over all your sins which ye had sinned in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD and in provoking him.

In the four and twentieth day of this month came the children of Israel together with fasting, and sackcloth, and earth upon them,

And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water and poured it out before the LORD and fasted the same day, and said there, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the causes of the children of Israel in Mizpeh.

In the four and twentieth day of this month came the children of Israel together with fasting, and sackcloth, and earth upon them, and separated the seed of Israel from all the strange children and stood and acknowledged their sins, and the wickedness of their fathers,

that it appear not unto men how that thou fastest, but unto thy father which is in secret: and thy father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

Then should the light break out as doth the dayspring, and then health should shortly bud out. And thy righteousness shall go before thee, and the glory of the LORD would come upon thee. Then shouldest thou call, and the LORD answer; then shouldest thou cry, and he shall say, "Lo, here am I. For I the LORD thy God am merciful." Yea If thou layest away thy burdens, and holdest thy fingers, and ceasest from blasphemous talking; if thou hast compassion upon the hungry, and refreshest the troubled soul: Then shall thy light spring out in the darkness, and thy darkness shall be as the noon day. read more.
The LORD shall ever be thy guide, and satisfy the desire of thine heart, and fill thy bones with marrow. Thou shalt be like a fresh watered garden, and like the fountain of water, that never leaveth running. Then the places that have ever been waste, shall be builded of thee: there shalt thou lay a foundation for many kindreds. Thou shalt be called the maker-up of hedges, and the builder-again of the way of the Sabbath.

And David besought God for the boy and fasted and went and lay all night upon the earth.

My knees are weak through fasting; my flesh is dried up for want of fatness.

They seek of me righteous judgments, and will draw nigh unto God. Why have we fasted and thou hast not looked upon it? Have humbled our souls, and thou wouldest not wit it?

For though they fast, I will not hear their prayers. And though they offer burnt offerings and sacrifices, yet will not I accept them. For I will destroy them with the sword, hunger, and pestilence."

that it appear not unto men how that thou fastest, but unto thy father which is in secret: and thy father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

"Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, and say, 'When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, now this seventy years, did ye fast unto me?

And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights, and neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote in the tables the words of the covenant: even ten verses.

Then the children of Israel and all the people went up and came unto Bethel, and wept and sat there before the LORD, and fasted the same day unto evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights, and neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote in the tables the words of the covenant: even ten verses.

after that I was gone up into the mount, to fetch the tables of stone, the tables of covenant which the LORD made with you. And I abode in the hill forty days and forty nights and neither ate bread nor drank water.

And Moses went into the mountain. And Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.

And I fell before the LORD, even as at the first time - forty days and nights, and neither ate bread nor drank water - over all your sins which ye had sinned in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD and in provoking him.

Then came the disciples of John to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?"

And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees did fast, and they therefore came and said unto him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, and thy disciples fast not?"

I fast twice in the week. I give tithe of all that I possess.'

When Ahab heard those words, he rent his clothes and put sackcloth about his flesh and fasted, and lay in sack and went comfortless.

And they pitched one over against the other seven days, and the seventh day joined battle. And the children of Israel slew of the Syrians, a hundred thousand footmen in one day.

Nevertheless, when they were sick, I put on sackcloth, and humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

So the king went in to his palace, and kept him sober all night, so that there was no table spread before him, neither could he take any sleep.

so that I had no lust to eat bread: as for flesh and wine, there came none within my mouth: No, I did not once anoint myself, till the whole three weeks were out.

And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward a hungered.

And when they had ordained them elders by election in every congregation, after they had prayed and fasted, they commended them to God on whom they believed.

And in the meantime, betwixt that and day, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, "This is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting receiving nothing at all,

I fast twice in the week. I give tithe of all that I possess.'

Jesus then full of the holy ghost, returned from Jordan, and was carried of the spirit into a wilderness, and was forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days ate he nothing: And when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

And when they had ordained them elders by election in every congregation, after they had prayed and fasted, they commended them to God on whom they believed.

Then fasted they and prayed, and put their hands on them, and let them go.

and I turned me unto God the LORD, for to pray and make mine intercession, with fasting, sack cloth and ashes.

So we fasted, and besought our God for this; and he heard us.

And now therefore saith the LORD: Turn to me with all your hearts, in fasting and lamentation.

Proclaim a fasting, call the congregation, gather the elders and all the inhabiters of the land together in to the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD.

and took their bones and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

all the men of war arose and fetched away the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons and brought them to Jabesh and buried the bones of them under an oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

And Cornelius said, "This day now four days I fasted, and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

in labour and travail, in watching often, in hunger, in thirst, in fastings often, in cold and in nakedness.

And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water and poured it out before the LORD and fasted the same day, and said there, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the causes of the children of Israel in Mizpeh.

In the four and twentieth day of this month came the children of Israel together with fasting, and sackcloth, and earth upon them, and separated the seed of Israel from all the strange children and stood and acknowledged their sins, and the wickedness of their fathers,

Nevertheless, when they were sick, I put on sackcloth, and humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

So the king went in to his palace, and kept him sober all night, so that there was no table spread before him, neither could he take any sleep.

"Moreover, when ye fast, be not sad as the hypocrites are: for they disfigure their faces, that they might be seen of men how they fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face, that it appear not unto men how that thou fastest, but unto thy father which is in secret: and thy father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

"Moreover, when ye fast, be not sad as the hypocrites are: for they disfigure their faces, that they might be seen of men how they fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face, that it appear not unto men how that thou fastest, but unto thy father which is in secret: and thy father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

And I fell before the LORD, even as at the first time - forty days and nights, and neither ate bread nor drank water - over all your sins which ye had sinned in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD and in provoking him.

In the four and twentieth day of this month came the children of Israel together with fasting, and sackcloth, and earth upon them,

"Moreover, when ye fast, be not sad as the hypocrites are: for they disfigure their faces, that they might be seen of men how they fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face, that it appear not unto men how that thou fastest, but unto thy father which is in secret: and thy father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

And David besought God for the boy and fasted and went and lay all night upon the earth.

and took their bones and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

in stripes, in prisonment, in strife, in labour, in watching, in fasting,

in labour and travail, in watching often, in hunger, in thirst, in fastings often, in cold and in nakedness.

And when they had ordained them elders by election in every congregation, after they had prayed and fasted, they commended them to God on whom they believed.

Then fasted they and prayed, and put their hands on them, and let them go.

They proclaimed fasting, and set Naboth on high among the people,

When Ahab heard those words, he rent his clothes and put sackcloth about his flesh and fasted, and lay in sack and went comfortless.

And they mourned, wept and fasted until evening - for Saul, and Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel, because they were overthrown with the sword.

Behold when ye fast, ye can find your own lusts, and can call cruelly on all your debtors. Ye fast to law and strive and to smite with fist wickedly. Fast not as ye now do, to make your voice to be heard upon high. Should it be such a manner of fast that I should chose? A day that a man should hurt his soul in? Or to bow down his head like a bulrush? Or to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Shouldest thou call this a fast, and a day acceptable unto the LORD?

Or is not this rather the fast that I have chosen? To loose wicked bonds, and to unbind bundles of oppression? And to let the bruised go free? And that ye should break all manner yokes? Yea, and to break the bread to the hungry; and to bring the poor that are harborless unto house; and when thou seest a naked, that thou clothe him and that thou shouldest withdraw thyself from helping thine own flesh?

And he arose and did eat and drink and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights, unto Horeb the mount of God,

Then they said unto him, "Why do the disciples of John fast often and pray: and the disciples of the Pharisees also: and thine eat and drink?" And he said unto them, "Can ye make the Children of the wedding fast, as long as the bridegroom is present with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them: then shall they fast in those days."

Then came the disciples of John to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?"

When I heard these words, I sat me down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,

"Moreover, when ye fast, be not sad as the hypocrites are: for they disfigure their faces, that they might be seen of men how they fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

And David besought God for the boy and fasted and went and lay all night upon the earth. And the elders of his house arose and went to him to take him up from the earth. But he would not, neither yet eat meat with them. And it happened the seventh day that the child died. But the servants of David durst not tell him that the child was dead. For they said, "See, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice. How much more then will he vex himself if we tell him that the child is dead?" read more.
But David saw his servants whispering and thereby perceived that the child was dead, and said unto his servants, "Is the child dead?" And they said, "Yea." Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his apparel, and went into the house of the LORD and prayed; and after came to his own house and bade that they should set meat before him, and he did eat. Then said his servants unto him, "What is this that thou hast done? Thou did fast and weep for thy child while it was alive, and as soon as it was dead thou didst rise up and didst eat meat." And he answered, "While the child was alive, I fasted and wept. For I this thought, 'Who can tell whether God will have mercy on me that the child may live?'

And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward a hungered.

'Go thou thy way then, and gather together all the Jews that are found at Susa, and fast ye for me, that ye eat not and drink not in three days, neither day nor night. I and my damsels will fast likewise, and so will I go in to the king contrary to the commandment: if I perish, I perish.'"

'Go thou thy way then, and gather together all the Jews that are found at Susa, and fast ye for me, that ye eat not and drink not in three days, neither day nor night. I and my damsels will fast likewise, and so will I go in to the king contrary to the commandment: if I perish, I perish.'"

And even there at the water beside Ahava, I proclaimed a fast, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and our children and all our substance.

So we fasted, and besought our God for this; and he heard us.

My knees are weak through fasting; my flesh is dried up for want of fatness.

For the love that I had unto them, they take now my contrary part; but I give myself unto prayer.

As they ministered to the Lord and fasted; The holy ghost said, "Separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the work whereunto I have called them." Then fasted they and prayed, and put their hands on them, and let them go.

I wept, and chastened myself with fasting, and that was turned to my reproof.

Nevertheless, when they were sick, I put on sackcloth, and humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

and I turned me unto God the LORD, for to pray and make mine intercession, with fasting, sack cloth and ashes.

I fast twice in the week. I give tithe of all that I possess.'

And the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed fasting, and arrayed themselves in sackcloth, as well the great as the small of them. And the tidings came unto the king of Nineveh, which arose out of his seat, and did his apparel off and put on sackcloth, and sat him down in ashes. And it was cried and commanded in Nineveh by the authority of the king and of his lords, saying, "See that neither man or beast, ox or sheep taste ought at all, and that they neither feed or drink water." read more.
And they put on sackcloth both man and beast, and cried unto God mightily, and turned every man from his wicked way, and from doing wrong in which they were accustomed, saying, "Who can tell whether God will turn and repent, and cease from his fierce wrath, that we perish not?" And when God saw their works, how they turned from their wicked ways, he repented on the evil which he said he would do unto them, and did it not.

As they ministered to the Lord and fasted; The holy ghost said, "Separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the work whereunto I have called them."

And she had been a widow about four score and four years of age, which went never out of the temple, but served God there with fasting and prayer night and day.

after that I was gone up into the mount, to fetch the tables of stone, the tables of covenant which the LORD made with you. And I abode in the hill forty days and forty nights and neither ate bread nor drank water.

And I fell before the LORD, even as at the first time - forty days and nights, and neither ate bread nor drank water - over all your sins which ye had sinned in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD and in provoking him.

And now therefore saith the LORD: Turn to me with all your hearts, in fasting and lamentation.

As they ministered to the Lord and fasted; The holy ghost said, "Separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the work whereunto I have called them." Then fasted they and prayed, and put their hands on them, and let them go.

In the third year of king Cyrus of Persia, there was showed unto Daniel, otherwise called Balteshazzar, a matter: yea, a true matter, but it is yet a long time unto it. He understood the matter well, and perceived what the vision was. At the same time, I, Daniel, mourned for the space of three weeks, so that I had no lust to eat bread: as for flesh and wine, there came none within my mouth: No, I did not once anoint myself, till the whole three weeks were out.

At the same time, I, Daniel, mourned for the space of three weeks, so that I had no lust to eat bread: as for flesh and wine, there came none within my mouth: No, I did not once anoint myself, till the whole three weeks were out.

And David besought God for the boy and fasted and went and lay all night upon the earth.

And they mourned, wept and fasted until evening - for Saul, and Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel, because they were overthrown with the sword.

And when all the people came to eat meat with David, while it was yet day, David sware, saying, "So do God to me and so thereto, if I taste bread or ought else till the sun be down."

And Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed fasting throughout all Judah.

And this was done in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, in the ninth month, when it was commanded that all the people of Jerusalem should fast before the LORD, and they also that were come from the cities of Judah unto Jerusalem.

And Ezra stood up before the house of God, and went in to the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib. And when he came thither, he ate no bread, nor drank water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been in captivity.

And when they had ordained them elders by election in every congregation, after they had prayed and fasted, they commended them to God on whom they believed.

Then the children of Israel and all the people went up and came unto Bethel, and wept and sat there before the LORD, and fasted the same day unto evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

And they mourned, wept and fasted until evening - for Saul, and Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel, because they were overthrown with the sword.

Nevertheless, when they were sick, I put on sackcloth, and humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

I wept, and chastened myself with fasting, and that was turned to my reproof.

And he arose and did eat and drink and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights, unto Horeb the mount of God,

And Cornelius said, "This day now four days I fasted, and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

And they mourned, wept and fasted until evening - for Saul, and Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel, because they were overthrown with the sword.

So the king went in to his palace, and kept him sober all night, so that there was no table spread before him, neither could he take any sleep.

And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water and poured it out before the LORD and fasted the same day, and said there, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the causes of the children of Israel in Mizpeh.

Then came the disciples of John to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?"

And she had been a widow about four score and four years of age, which went never out of the temple, but served God there with fasting and prayer night and day.

'Go thou thy way then, and gather together all the Jews that are found at Susa, and fast ye for me, that ye eat not and drink not in three days, neither day nor night. I and my damsels will fast likewise, and so will I go in to the king contrary to the commandment: if I perish, I perish.'"

When I heard these words, I sat me down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,

And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

and I turned me unto God the LORD, for to pray and make mine intercession, with fasting, sack cloth and ashes.

And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward a hungered.

and I turned me unto God the LORD, for to pray and make mine intercession, with fasting, sack cloth and ashes.

And when all the people came to eat meat with David, while it was yet day, David sware, saying, "So do God to me and so thereto, if I taste bread or ought else till the sun be down."

and took their bones and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

And they mourned, wept and fasted until evening - for Saul, and Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel, because they were overthrown with the sword.

Then came the disciples of John to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?"

I fast twice in the week. I give tithe of all that I possess.'

When I heard these words, I sat me down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,

and I turned me unto God the LORD, for to pray and make mine intercession, with fasting, sack cloth and ashes.

Then fasted they and prayed, and put their hands on them, and let them go.