³⁴ Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.

³¹ David then ordered Joab and all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth,^(A) and mourn over Abner.” And King David walked behind the coffin.^[a]

³¹ His servants said to him, “Consider this: we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. So let’s put sackcloth around our waists^(A) and ropes around our heads, and let’s go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will spare your life.”

³² So they dressed with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, went to the king of Israel, and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.’”

So he said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”

²⁵ Still, there was no one like Ahab, who devoted himself to do what was evil in the Lord’s sight, because his wife Jezebel incited him.^{(A) 26} He committed the most detestable acts by following idols^(B) as the Amorites^(C) had, whom the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites.

²⁷ When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put sackcloth over his body, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth^(D) and walked around subdued. ²⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: ²⁹ “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? I will not bring the disaster during his lifetime,^(E) because he has humbled himself before me. I will bring the disaster on his house during his son’s lifetime.”^(F)

Hezekiah Seeks Isaiah’s Counsel

19 When King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth,^(A) and went into the Lord’s temple.^{(B) 2} He sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the court secretary,^(C) and the leading priests, who were covered with sackcloth,^(D) to the prophet Isaiah^(E) son of Amoz.