if my people, who belong to me, ¹  humble themselves, pray, seek to please me, ²  and repudiate their sinful practices, ³  then I will respond ⁴  from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. ⁵ 

Lord, you have heard ¹  the request ²  of the oppressed; you make them feel secure because you listen to their prayer. ³ 

because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. ¹  For ²  from now on ³  all generations will call me blessed, ⁴ 

with all humility and gentleness, ¹  with patience, bearing with ²  one another in love,

Remember the whole way by which he ¹  has brought you these forty years through the desert ²  so that he might, by humbling you, test you to see if you have it within you to keep his commandments or not.

Is this really the kind of fasting I want? ¹  Do I want a day when people merely humble themselves, ²  bowing their heads like a reed and stretching out ³  on sackcloth and ashes? Is this really what you call a fast, a day that is pleasing to the Lord?

Then he said to me, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel, for from the very first day you applied your mind ¹  to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I have come in response to your words.

The downtrodden will again rejoice in the Lord; the poor among humankind will take delight ¹  in the Holy One of Israel. ² 

The Lord told me, ¹  “Tell the king and the queen mother, ‘Surrender your thrones, ²  for your glorious crowns will be removed ³  from your heads. ⁴ 

“Tell the people of Zion, ¹  ‘Look, your king is coming to you, unassuming and seated on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” ² 

God, the one who has reigned as king from long ago, will hear and humiliate them. ¹  (Selah) They refuse to change, and do not fear God. ² 

until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’ ¹ 

until I make your enemies a footstool ¹  for your feet.”’ ² 

It is to be a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you must humble yourselves. ¹  It is a perpetual statute. ² 

Look at every proud man and abase him; crush the wicked on the spot! ¹ 

when God arose to execute judgment, and to deliver all the oppressed of the earth. (Selah)

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but ¹  the one who humbles ²  himself will be exalted.”

“The ¹  tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. ²  It is to be a holy assembly for you, and you must humble yourselves ³  and present a gift to the Lord.

It is a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you must humble yourselves on the ninth day of the month in the evening, from evening until evening you must observe your Sabbath.” ¹ 

I am willing to shame and humiliate myself even more than this! ¹  But with the slave girls whom you mentioned let me be distinguished!”