Lent

Lent is not named in the Bible; it is the forty-day season of fasting, prayer and repentance before Easter, beginning on Ash Wednesday, kept by Catholic, Orthodox and many Protestant churches, while other Christians do not observe the church calendar. The passages traditions associate with the season and those cited against required holy days are listed.

Forty days of fasting

• Matthew 4:1-2
  ¹Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ²And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry.
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• Luke 4:1-2
  ¹And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, ²Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.where for forty days He was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He was hungry.
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• Exodus 34:28
  And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.So Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.
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• 1 Kings 19:8
  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.So he got up and ate and drank. And strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
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Dust and ashes

• Genesis 3:19
  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground— because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”
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• Job 42:6
  Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.Therefore I retract my words, and I repent in dust and ashes.”
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• Daniel 9:3
  And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petition, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
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Return with fasting and weeping

• Joel 2:12-13
  ¹²Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.” ¹³And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.
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• Isaiah 58:6-7
  ⁶Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and tear off every yoke? ⁷Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your home, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
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• Psalm 51:10-12
  ¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. ¹¹Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.Cast me not away from Your presence; take not Your Holy Spirit from me. ¹²Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit.
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Fasting rightly

• Matthew 6:16-18
  ¹⁶Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. ¹⁷But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.so that your fasting will not be obvious to men, but only to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
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• Matthew 9:15
  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.Jesus replied, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while He is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.
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Passages cited against required seasons

• Colossians 2:16-17
  ¹⁶Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. ¹⁷Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.
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• Romans 14:5-6
  ⁵One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.One person regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. ⁶He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
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• Galatians 4:9-11
  ⁹But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? ¹⁰Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! ¹¹I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.I fear for you, that my efforts for you may have been in vain.
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See also

• Fasting
• Repentance
• Crucifixion of Jesus
• Prayer
• Triumphal entry

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.