Today's Readings and Stuff -- 01 December 2013
welcome to Sunday and welcome the new month. The new year isn't that far away either. Lots of stuff going around.
Looks like we're going to be skipping church services again this morning. Dear Wife suffers from a raft of maladies related to advanced autoimmune disease, one of which is called Sjogren's Syndrome. Among other things, it's destroying her teeth. She broke one in half at the Thanksgiving Day get-together, and is in pain. Based on past episodes, the nerve will die out in about a week, perhaps less, and won't be a pain issue. Potential infection site, we don't know yet. And, since we will have no medical or dental care until early January of the new year, we're kind of stuck. She's running out of teeth to chew with, and I'm not much better off. So she's taking pain meds that we do still have a small stock of, but that will keep her from being able or willing to go out in public. So we will stay home.
Friends we messaging me like crazy yesterday, well into the early evening, about football game scores. One of the side effects of having lived in way too many places over the last 25 years, is that we have friends who are big fans of one college team or another. And some of the big grudge games were played yesterday. Ohio State-Michigan, for one. Alabama-Auburn for another. Tennessee-Kentucky. South Carolina-Clemson. Georgia-Georgia Tech. And so on. As I said, we have friends who are BIG supporters of most of these teams and more besides. I remain quiet on the matters, though I do admit to a good wish towards whoever plays either Penn State or Notre Dame. But other than that, not so much. But the phone lines, e-mails, texts, etc. etc. etc. were, well, a LOT. Hope everyone had fun and no one got hurt bad. But it's a GAME, folks. A GAME. Not, or should not be, something to build your whole life around.
The Old Testament reading is chapters 45 and 46 of Ezekiel. Some fairly detailed instructions on the Temple in Jerusalem, the layout of the place and the worship procedures. OK. But recall that at this time, unless I am much mistaken, Ezekiel and the leaders of the people were far away as captives. That the Lord was giving these instructions meant that they would be Going Home.
1
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Moreover,
when ye shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, ye shall offer an
oblation unto the LORD, an holy portion of the land: the length shall
be the length of five and twenty thousand reeds, and the breadth shall
be ten thousand. This shall be holy in all the borders thereof round
about.
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2
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Of
this there shall be for the sanctuary five hundred in length, with five
hundred in breadth, square round about; and fifty cubits round about
for the suburbs thereof.
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3
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And
of this measure shalt thou measure the length of five and twenty
thousand, and the breadth of ten thousand: and in it shall be the
sanctuary and the most holy place.
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4
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The
holy portion of the land shall be for the priests the ministers of the
sanctuary, which shall come near to minister unto the LORD: and it shall
be a place for their houses, and an holy place for the sanctuary.
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5
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And
the five and twenty thousand of length, and the ten thousand of breadth
shall also the Levites, the ministers of the house, have for
themselves, for a possession for twenty chambers.
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6
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And
ye shall appoint the possession of the city five thousand broad, and
five and twenty thousand long, over against the oblation of the holy
portion: it shall be for the whole house of Israel.
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7
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And
a portion shall be for the prince on the one side and on the other side
of the oblation of the holy portion, and of the possession of the city,
before the oblation of the holy portion, and before the possession of
the city, from the west side westward, and from the east side eastward:
and the length shall be over against one of the portions, from the west
border unto the east border.
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8
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In
the land shall be his possession in Israel: and my princes shall no
more oppress my people; and the rest of the land shall they give to the
house of Israel according to their tribes.
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9
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Thus
saith the Lord GOD; Let it suffice you, O princes of Israel: remove
violence and spoil, and execute judgment and justice, take away your
exactions from my people, saith the Lord GOD.
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10
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Ye shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath.
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11
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The
ephah and the bath shall be of one measure, that the bath may contain
the tenth part of an homer, and the ephah the tenth part of an homer:
the measure thereof shall be after the homer.
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12
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And the shekel shall be twenty gerahs: twenty shekels, five and twenty shekels, fifteen shekels, shall be your maneh.
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13
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This
is the oblation that ye shall offer; the sixth part of an ephah of an
homer of wheat, and ye shall give the sixth part of an ephah of an homer
of barley:
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14
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Concerning
the ordinance of oil, the bath of oil, ye shall offer the tenth part of
a bath out of the cor, which is an homer of ten baths; for ten baths
are an homer:
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15
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And
one lamb out of the flock, out of two hundred, out of the fat pastures
of Israel; for a meat offering, and for a burnt offering, and for peace
offerings, to make reconciliation for them, saith the Lord GOD.
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16
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All the people of the land shall give this oblation for the prince in Israel.
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17
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And
it shall be the prince's part to give burnt offerings, and meat
offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and
in the sabbaths, in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall
prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering,
and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of
Israel.
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18
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Thus
saith the Lord GOD; In the first month, in the first day of the month,
thou shalt take a young bullock without blemish, and cleanse the
sanctuary:
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19
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And
the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering, and put it upon
the posts of the house, and upon the four corners of the settle of the
altar, and upon the posts of the gate of the inner court.
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20
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And
so thou shalt do the seventh day of the month for every one that
erreth, and for him that is simple: so shall ye reconcile the house.
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21
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In
the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the
passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten.
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22
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And upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin offering.
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23
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And
seven days of the feast he shall prepare a burnt offering to the LORD,
seven bullocks and seven rams without blemish daily the seven days; and a
kid of the goats daily for a sin offering.
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24
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And he shall prepare a meat offering of an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and an hin of oil for an ephah.
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25
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In
the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the month, shall he do the
like in the feast of the seven days, according to the sin offering,
according to the burnt offering, and according to the meat offering, and
according to the oil.
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1
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Thus
saith the Lord GOD; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the
east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be
opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened.
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2
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And
the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate without,
and shall stand by the post of the gate, and the priests shall prepare
his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the
threshold of the gate: then he shall go forth; but the gate shall not be
shut until the evening.
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3
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Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate before the LORD in the sabbaths and in the new moons.
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4
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And
the burnt offering that the prince shall offer unto the LORD in the
sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without
blemish.
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5
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And
the meat offering shall be an ephah for a ram, and the meat offering
for the lambs as he shall be able to give, and an hin of oil to an
ephah.
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6
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And
in the day of the new moon it shall be a young bullock without blemish,
and six lambs, and a ram: they shall be without blemish.
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7
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And
he shall prepare a meat offering, an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah
for a ram, and for the lambs according as his hand shall attain unto,
and an hin of oil to an ephah.
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8
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And when the prince shall enter, he shall go in by the way of the porch of that gate, and he shall go forth by the way thereof.
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9
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But
when the people of the land shall come before the LORD in the solemn
feasts, he that entereth in by the way of the north gate to worship
shall go out by the way of the south gate; and he that entereth by the
way of the south gate shall go forth by the way of the north gate: he
shall not return by the way of the gate whereby he came in, but shall go
forth over against it.
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10
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And the prince in the midst of them, when they go in, shall go in; and when they go forth, shall go forth.
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11
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And
in the feasts and in the solemnities the meat offering shall be an
ephah to a bullock, and an ephah to a ram, and to the lambs as he is
able to give, and an hin of oil to an ephah.
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12
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Now
when the prince shall prepare a voluntary burnt offering or peace
offerings voluntarily unto the LORD, one shall then open him the gate
that looketh toward the east, and he shall prepare his burnt offering
and his peace offerings, as he did on the sabbath day: then he shall go
forth; and after his going forth one shall shut the gate.
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13
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Thou
shalt daily prepare a burnt offering unto the LORD of a lamb of the
first year without blemish: thou shalt prepare it every morning.
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14
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And
thou shalt prepare a meat offering for it every morning, the sixth part
of an ephah, and the third part of an hin of oil, to temper with the
fine flour; a meat offering continually by a perpetual ordinance unto
the LORD.
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15
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Thus shall they prepare the lamb, and the meat offering, and the oil, every morning for a continual burnt offering.
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16
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Thus
saith the Lord GOD; If the prince give a gift unto any of his sons, the
inheritance thereof shall be his sons'; it shall be their possession by
inheritance.
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17
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But
if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants, then it
shall be his to the year of liberty; after it shall return to the
prince: but his inheritance shall be his sons' for them.
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18
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Moreover
the prince shall not take of the people's inheritance by oppression, to
thrust them out of their possession; but he shall give his sons
inheritance out of his own possession: that my people be not scattered
every man from his possession.
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19
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After
he brought me through the entry, which was at the side of the gate,
into the holy chambers of the priests, which looked toward the north:
and, behold, there was a place on the two sides westward.
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20
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Then
said he unto me, This is the place where the priests shall boil the
trespass offering and the sin offering, where they shall bake the meat
offering; that they bear them not out into the utter court, to sanctify
the people.
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21
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Then
he brought me forth into the utter court, and caused me to pass by the
four corners of the court; and, behold, in every corner of the court
there was a court.
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22
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In
the four corners of the court there were courts joined of forty cubits
long and thirty broad: these four corners were of one measure.
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23
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And
there was a row of building round about in them, round about them four,
and it was made with boiling places under the rows round about.
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24
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Then
said he unto me, These are the places of them that boil, where the
ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifice of the people.
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-----------]
The New Testament reading is chapter 3 of 2nd Peter, completing it.
1
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This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
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2
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That
ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy
prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and
Saviour:
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3
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Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
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4
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And
saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell
asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the
creation.
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5
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For
this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the
heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the
water:
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6
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Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
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7
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But
the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in
store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of
ungodly men.
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8
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But,
beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the
Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
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9
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The
Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness;
but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but
that all should come to repentance.
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10
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But
the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the
heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt
with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall
be burned up.
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11
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Seeing
then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons
ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
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12
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Looking
for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens
being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat?
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13
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Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
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14
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Wherefore,
beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may
be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
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15
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And
account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our
beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath
written unto you;
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16
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As
also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which
are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and
unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own
destruction.
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17
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Ye
therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye
also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own
stedfastness.
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18
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But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
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