And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

{A Song of degrees.} When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.

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

And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.

And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

A time to laugh

And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.

But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

To dance

And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.

And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.

General references

My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep.

For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;