All his sons and daughters showed up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He kept saying, "Leave me alone! I'll go down to the next world, still mourning for my son." So Joseph's father wept for him.

"It's enough," Israel replied. "My son Joseph is still alive. I'm going to go see him before I die!"

In mounting fear, Jehoshaphat devoted himself to seek the LORD. He proclaimed a period of fasting throughout all of the territory of Judah,

as the days on which the Jewish people enjoyed relief from their enemies. It was a month when things turned around for them, from sorrow to joy and from mourning to a holiday. They were to celebrate these days as days of feasting and joy, and they were to send presents to one another and gifts to the poor.

he has swallowed up death forever! Then the Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces, and he will take away the disgrace of his people from the entire earth." for the LORD has spoken.

"Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be happy for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in gladness, all you who mourn over her,

Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, you'll cry and mourn, but the world will rejoice. You'll be deeply distressed, but your pain will turn into joy.

I told him, "Sir, you know."

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There won't be death anymore. There won't be any grief, crying, or pain, because the first things have disappeared."

Girded

He also told them, "Go eat the best food, drink the best wine, and give something to those who have nothing, since this day is holy to our Lord. Don't be sorrowful, because the joy of the LORD is your strength."

to provide for those who grieve in Zion to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, a mantle of praise instead of a spirit of despair." "Then people will call them "Oaks of Righteousness", "The Planting of the LORD", in order to display his splendor.

But the father told his servants, "Hurry! Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

General references

Yet when they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, he delivered them from certain destruction.

"How blessed are those who mourn, because it is they who will be comforted!

But one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, came back and praised God with a loud voice.