16 And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

22 And the hand of the Lord was there upon me; and he said unto me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee.

23 Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face.

24 Then the spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spake with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thine house.

25 But thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them:

26 And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: for they are a rebellious house.

27 But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house.

Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile, and lay it before thee, and pourtray upon it the city, even Jerusalem:

And lay siege against it, and build a fort against it, and cast a mount against it; set the camp also against it, and set battering rams against it round about.

Moreover take thou unto thee an iron pan, and set it for a wall of iron between thee and the city: and set thy face against it, and it shall be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it. This shall be a sign to the house of Israel.

Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity.

For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.

And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.

Therefore thou shalt set thy face toward the siege of Jerusalem, and thine arm shall be uncovered, and thou shalt prophesy against it.

And, behold, I will lay bands upon thee, and thou shalt not turn thee from one side to another, till thou hast ended the days of thy siege.

Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof.

10 And thy meat which thou shalt eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day: from time to time shalt thou eat it.

11 Thou shalt drink also water by measure, the sixth part of an hin: from time to time shalt thou drink.

12 And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man, in their sight.

13 And the Lord said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them.

14 Then said I, Ah Lord God! behold, my soul hath not been polluted: for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn in pieces; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth.

15 Then he said unto me, Lo, I have given thee cow's dung for man's dung, and thou shalt prepare thy bread therewith.

16 Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with care; and they shall drink water by measure, and with astonishment:

17 That they may want bread and water, and be astonied one with another, and consume away for their iniquity.

And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife, take thee a barber's razor, and cause it to pass upon thine head and upon thy beard: then take thee balances to weigh, and divide the hair.

Thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled: and thou shalt take a third part, and smite about it with a knife: and a third part thou shalt scatter in the wind; and I will draw out a sword after them.

Thou shalt also take thereof a few in number, and bind them in thy skirts.

Then take of them again, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire; for thereof shall a fire come forth into all the house of Israel.

Thus saith the Lord God; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her.

And she hath changed my judgments into wickedness more than the nations, and my statutes more than the countries that are round about her: for they have refused my judgments and my statutes, they have not walked in them.

Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye multiplied more than the nations that are round about you, and have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my judgments, neither have done according to the judgments of the nations that are round about you;

Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, am against thee, and will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations.

And I will do in thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of all thine abominations.

10 Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments in thee, and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the winds.

11 Wherefore, as I live, saith the Lord God; Surely, because thou hast defiled my sanctuary with all thy detestable things, and with all thine abominations, therefore will I also diminish thee; neither shall mine eye spare, neither will I have any pity.

12 A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.

13 Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause my fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted: and they shall know that I the Lord have spoken it in my zeal, when I have accomplished my fury in them.

14 Moreover I will make thee waste, and a reproach among the nations that are round about thee, in the sight of all that pass by.

15 So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment unto the nations that are round about thee, when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the Lord have spoken it.

16 When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:

17 So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee: and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the Lord have spoken it.

And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them,

And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places.

And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken: and I will cast down your slain men before your idols.

And I will lay the dead carcases of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars.

In all your dwellingplaces the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.

And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries.

And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.

10 And they shall know that I am the Lord, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them.

11 Thus saith the Lord God; Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, Alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.

12 He that is far off shall die of the pestilence; and he that is near shall fall by the sword; and he that remaineth and is besieged shall die by the famine: thus will I accomplish my fury upon them.

13 Then shall ye know that I am the Lord, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the place where they did offer sweet savour to all their idols.

14 So will I stretch out my hand upon them, and make the land desolate, yea, more desolate than the wilderness toward Diblath, in all their habitations: and they shall know that I am the Lord.

Ezekiel’s Task as Watchman

16 At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me:(A) 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman(B) for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.(C) 18 When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,(D)’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.(E) 19 But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn(F) from their wickedness(G) or from their evil ways, they will die(H) for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.(I)

20 “Again, when a righteous person turns(J) from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block(K) before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.(L) 21 But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.(M)

22 The hand of the Lord(N) was on me there, and he said to me, “Get up and go(O) out to the plain,(P) and there I will speak to you.” 23 So I got up and went out to the plain. And the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River,(Q) and I fell facedown.(R)

24 Then the Spirit came into me and raised me(S) to my feet. He spoke to me and said: “Go, shut yourself inside your house.(T) 25 And you, son of man, they will tie with ropes; you will be bound so that you cannot go out among the people.(U) 26 I will make your tongue stick to the roof(V) of your mouth so that you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious people.(W) 27 But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’(X) Whoever will listen let them listen, and whoever will refuse let them refuse; for they are a rebellious people.(Y)

Siege of Jerusalem Symbolized

“Now, son of man, take a block of clay, put it in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem on it. Then lay siege to it: Erect siege works against it, build a ramp(Z) up to it, set up camps against it and put battering rams around it.(AA) Then take an iron pan,(AB) place it as an iron wall between you and the city and turn your face toward(AC) it. It will be under siege, and you shall besiege it. This will be a sign(AD) to the people of Israel.(AE)

“Then lie on your left side and put the sin of the people of Israel upon yourself.[b] You are to bear their sin for the number of days you lie on your side. I have assigned you the same number of days as the years of their sin. So for 390 days you will bear the sin of the people of Israel.

“After you have finished this, lie down again, this time on your right side, and bear the sin(AF) of the people of Judah. I have assigned you 40 days, a day for each year.(AG) Turn your face(AH) toward the siege of Jerusalem and with bared arm prophesy against her. I will tie you up with ropes so that you cannot turn from one side to the other until you have finished the days of your siege.(AI)

“Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt;(AJ) put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the 390 days you lie on your side. 10 Weigh out twenty shekels[c](AK) of food to eat each day and eat it at set times. 11 Also measure out a sixth of a hin[d] of water and drink it at set times.(AL) 12 Eat the food as you would a loaf of barley bread; bake it in the sight of the people, using human excrement(AM) for fuel.” 13 The Lord said, “In this way the people of Israel will eat defiled food among the nations where I will drive them.”(AN)

14 Then I said, “Not so, Sovereign Lord!(AO) I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have never eaten anything found dead(AP) or torn by wild animals. No impure meat has ever entered my mouth.(AQ)

15 “Very well,” he said, “I will let you bake your bread over cow dung instead of human excrement.”

16 He then said to me: “Son of man, I am about to cut off(AR) the food supply in Jerusalem. The people will eat rationed food in anxiety and drink rationed water in despair,(AS) 17 for food and water will be scarce.(AT) They will be appalled at the sight of each other and will waste away because of[e] their sin.(AU)

God’s Razor of Judgment

“Now, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber’s razor(AV) to shave(AW) your head and your beard.(AX) Then take a set of scales and divide up the hair. When the days of your siege come to an end, burn(AY) a third(AZ) of the hair inside the city. Take a third and strike it with the sword all around the city. And scatter a third to the wind.(BA) For I will pursue them with drawn sword.(BB) But take a few hairs and tuck them away in the folds of your garment.(BC) Again, take a few of these and throw them into the fire(BD) and burn them up. A fire will spread from there to all Israel.

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: This is Jerusalem, which I have set in the center of the nations, with countries all around her.(BE) Yet in her wickedness she has rebelled against my laws and decrees more than the nations and countries around her. She has rejected my laws and has not followed my decrees.(BF)

“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: You have been more unruly than the nations around you and have not followed my decrees or kept my laws. You have not even[f] conformed to the standards of the nations around you.(BG)

“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself am against you, Jerusalem, and I will inflict punishment on you in the sight of the nations.(BH) Because of all your detestable idols, I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again.(BI) 10 Therefore in your midst parents will eat their children, and children will eat their parents.(BJ) I will inflict punishment on you and will scatter all your survivors to the winds.(BK) 11 Therefore as surely as I live,(BL) declares the Sovereign(BM) Lord, because you have defiled my sanctuary(BN) with all your vile images(BO) and detestable practices,(BP) I myself will shave you; I will not look on you with pity or spare you.(BQ) 12 A third of your people will die of the plague or perish by famine inside you; a third will fall by the sword outside your walls; and a third I will scatter to the winds(BR) and pursue with drawn sword.(BS)

13 “Then my anger will cease and my wrath(BT) against them will subside, and I will be avenged.(BU) And when I have spent my wrath on them, they will know that I the Lord have spoken in my zeal.(BV)

14 “I will make you a ruin and a reproach among the nations around you, in the sight of all who pass by.(BW) 15 You will be a reproach(BX) and a taunt, a warning(BY) and an object of horror to the nations around you when I inflict punishment on you in anger and in wrath and with stinging rebuke.(BZ) I the Lord have spoken.(CA) 16 When I shoot at you with my deadly and destructive arrows of famine, I will shoot to destroy you. I will bring more and more famine upon you and cut off your supply of food.(CB) 17 I will send famine and wild beasts(CC) against you, and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed(CD) will sweep through you, and I will bring the sword against you. I the Lord have spoken.(CE)

Doom for the Mountains of Israel

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face(CF) against the mountains(CG) of Israel; prophesy against them(CH) and say: ‘You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys:(CI) I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places.(CJ) Your altars will be demolished and your incense altars(CK) will be smashed; and I will slay your people in front of your idols.(CL) I will lay the dead bodies of the Israelites in front of their idols, and I will scatter your bones(CM) around your altars.(CN) Wherever you live,(CO) the towns will be laid waste and the high places(CP) demolished, so that your altars will be laid waste and devastated, your idols(CQ) smashed and ruined, your incense altars(CR) broken down, and what you have made wiped out.(CS) Your people will fall slain(CT) among you, and you will know that I am the Lord.(CU)

“‘But I will spare some, for some of you will escape(CV) the sword when you are scattered among the lands and nations.(CW) Then in the nations where they have been carried captive, those who escape will remember(CX) me—how I have been grieved(CY) by their adulterous hearts, which have turned away from me, and by their eyes, which have lusted after their idols.(CZ) They will loathe themselves for the evil(DA) they have done and for all their detestable practices.(DB) 10 And they will know that I am the Lord;(DC) I did not threaten in vain to bring this calamity on them.(DD)

11 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Strike your hands together and stamp your feet and cry out “Alas!” because of all the wicked and detestable practices of the people of Israel, for they will fall by the sword, famine and plague.(DE) 12 One who is far away will die of the plague, and one who is near will fall by the sword, and anyone who survives and is spared will die of famine. So will I pour out my wrath(DF) on them.(DG) 13 And they will know that I am the Lord, when their people lie slain among their idols(DH) around their altars, on every high hill and on all the mountaintops, under every spreading tree and every leafy oak(DI)—places where they offered fragrant incense to all their idols.(DJ) 14 And I will stretch out my hand(DK) against them and make the land a desolate waste from the desert to Diblah[g]—wherever they live. Then they will know that I am the Lord.(DL)’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 3:18 Or in; also in verses 19 and 20
  2. Ezekiel 4:4 Or upon your side
  3. Ezekiel 4:10 That is, about 8 ounces or about 230 grams
  4. Ezekiel 4:11 That is, about 2/3 quart or about 0.6 liter
  5. Ezekiel 4:17 Or away in
  6. Ezekiel 5:7 Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac You have
  7. Ezekiel 6:14 Most Hebrew manuscripts; a few Hebrew manuscripts Riblah

Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.

Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:

Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

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A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.(A) For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.[a](B) Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,

“So I declared on oath in my anger,
    ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”[b](C)

And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.”[c](D) And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”(E)

Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience,(F) God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
    do not harden your hearts.”[d](G)

For if Joshua had given them rest,(H) God would not have spoken(I) later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works,[e](J) just as God did from his.(K) 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.(L)

12 For the word of God(M) is alive(N) and active.(O) Sharper than any double-edged sword,(P) it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.(Q) 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.(R) Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Jesus the Great High Priest

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest(S) who has ascended into heaven,[f](T) Jesus the Son of God,(U) let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.(V) 15 For we do not have a high priest(W) who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are(X)—yet he did not sin.(Y) 16 Let us then approach(Z) God’s throne of grace with confidence,(AA) so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 4:2 Some manuscripts because those who heard did not combine it with faith
  2. Hebrews 4:3 Psalm 95:11; also in verse 5
  3. Hebrews 4:4 Gen. 2:2
  4. Hebrews 4:7 Psalm 95:7,8
  5. Hebrews 4:10 Or labor
  6. Hebrews 4:14 Greek has gone through the heavens

24 O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.

25 So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.

26 There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.

27 These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.

28 That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.

29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.

30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

31 The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.

32 He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.

33 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

34 My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.

35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord.

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24 How many are your works,(A) Lord!
    In wisdom you made(B) them all;
    the earth is full of your creatures.(C)
25 There is the sea,(D) vast and spacious,
    teeming with creatures beyond number—
    living things both large and small.(E)
26 There the ships(F) go to and fro,
    and Leviathan,(G) which you formed to frolic(H) there.(I)

27 All creatures look to you
    to give them their food(J) at the proper time.
28 When you give it to them,
    they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
    they are satisfied(K) with good things.
29 When you hide your face,(L)
    they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
    they die and return to the dust.(M)
30 When you send your Spirit,(N)
    they are created,
    and you renew the face of the ground.

31 May the glory of the Lord(O) endure forever;
    may the Lord rejoice in his works(P)
32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,(Q)
    who touches the mountains,(R) and they smoke.(S)

33 I will sing(T) to the Lord all my life;
    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
    as I rejoice(U) in the Lord.
35 But may sinners vanish(V) from the earth
    and the wicked be no more.(W)

Praise the Lord, my soul.

Praise the Lord.[a](X)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 104:35 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; in the Septuagint this line stands at the beginning of Psalm 105.

27 Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.

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27 Whoever digs a pit(A) will fall into it;(B)
    if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.(C)

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