WEBVTT

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Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're

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taking this journey together to read the Bible

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in a year. Today's reading is from the book of

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Nehemiah, chapters 6 and 7. Chapter 6 Now it

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happened when Sambalat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab,

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and the rest of our enemies heard that I had

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rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks

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left in it, though at that time I had not hung

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the doors in the gates, that Sambalat and Geshem

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sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet together

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among the villages in the plain of Ono. But they

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thought to do me harm. So I sent messengers to

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them saying, I am doing a great work so that

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I cannot come down. Why should the work cease

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while I leave it and go down to you? But they

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sent me this message four times and I answered

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them in the same manner. Then Sambalat sent his

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servant to me as before the fifth time with an

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open letter in his hand. In it was written, It

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is reported among the nations, and Geshem says

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that you and the Jews plan to rebel. Therefore,

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according to these rumors, you are rebuilding

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the wall that you may be their king. And you

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have also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning

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you at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in

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Judah. Now these matters will be reported to

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the king. So come, therefore, and let us consult

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together. Then I sent to him, saying, No such

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things as you say are being done, but you invent

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them in your own heart. For they all were trying

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to make us afraid, saying, Their hands will be

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weakened in the work, and it will not be done.

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Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands. Afterward

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I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Deliah,

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the son of Mehetabel, who was a secret informer.

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And he said, Let us meet together in the house

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of God within the temple, and let us close the

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doors of the temple. for they are coming to kill

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you. Indeed, at night they will come to kill

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you. And I said, Should such a man as I flee?

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And who is there such as I who would go into

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the temple to save his life? I will not go in.

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Then I perceived that God had not sent him at

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all, but that he pronounced this prophecy against

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me because Tobiah and Sambalat had hired him.

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For this reason he was hired, that I should be

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afraid and act that way and sin, so that they

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might have cause for an evil report that they

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might reproach me. My God, remember Tobiah and

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Sambalat. According to these their works, and

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the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets,

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who would have made me afraid. So the wall was

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finished on the twenty -fifth day of Elul in

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fifty -two days. And it happened when all our

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enemies heard of it, and all the nations around

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us saw these things, that they were very disheartened

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in their own eyes, for they perceived that this

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work was done by our God. Also in those days

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the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah,

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and the letters of Tobiah came to them. For many

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in Judah were pledged to him, because he was

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the son -in -law of Shecania the son of Ara,

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Jehohanan had married the daughter of Mishulam

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the son of Berechiah. Also they reported his

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good deeds before me and reported my words to

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him. Tobiah sent letters to frighten me. Chapter

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7 Then it was, when the wall was built, and I

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had hung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the

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singers, and the Levites had been appointed,

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that I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brother

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Hanani, and Hanania, the leader of the citadel,

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for he was a faithful man and feared God more

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than many. And I said to them, Do not let the

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gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is

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hot, and while they stand guard, let them shut

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and bar the doors, and appoint guards from among

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the inhabitants of Jerusalem. one at his watch

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station and another in front of his own house.

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Now the city was large and spacious, but the

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people in it were few, and the houses were not

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rebuilt. Then my God put it into my heart to

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gather the nobles, the rulers, and the people,

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that they might be registered by genealogy. And

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I found the register of the genealogy of those

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who had come up in the first return, and found

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written in it, These are the people of the province

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who came back from the captivity. of those who

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had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar, the

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king of Babylon, had carried away, and who returned

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to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his city.

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Those who came with Zerubbabel were Jeshua, Nehemiah,

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Azariah, Ramiah, Nehamani, Mordecai, Bilshan,

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Mesperet, Begvi, Nehum, and Banna. The number

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of the men of the people of Israel, the sons

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of Parosh, 2 ,172. The sons of Shephatia, 372.

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The sons of Ara, 652. The sons of Behat, Moab.

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Of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2 ,818. The sons

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of Elam, 1 ,254. The sons of Jatu, 845. The sons

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of Zakai, 760. The sons of Binwi, 648. The sons

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of Ebai, 628. The sons of Asgad, 2 ,322. The

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sons of Adonikam, 667. The sons of Bigvai, 2

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,067. The sons of Adin, 655. The sons of Atar,

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of Hezekiah, 98. The sons of Hashum, 328. The

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sons of Bizai, 324. The sons of Harith, 112.

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The sons of Gibeon, 95. The men of Bethlehem

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and Netopha, 188. The men of Anatoth, 128. The

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men of Beit Azmavet, 42. The men of Kirjath -Jerim,

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Shephira and Beroth, 743. The men of Ramah and

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Geba, 621. The men of Mikmas. 122. The men of

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Bethel and Ai. 123. The men of the other Nebo.

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52. The sons of the other Elam. 1254. The sons

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of Harim. 320. The sons of Jericho. 345. The

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sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono. 721. The sons of

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Sinai. 3930. The priests. The sons of Jedaiah,

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of the house of Jeshua, 973. The sons of Emer,

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1052. The sons of Peshur, 1247. The sons of Harim,

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1017. The Levites, the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmion,

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and of the sons of Hodeva, 74. The singers, the

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sons of Asaph, 148. The gatekeepers, the sons

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of Shalom, the sons of Atar, The sons of Talmon.

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The sons of Akub. The sons of Hatita. The sons

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of Shubai. One hundred and thirty -eight. The

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Nethanim. The sons of Zihah. The sons of Hashufa.

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The sons of Tabawut. The sons of Keros. The sons

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of Siyah. The sons of Padun. The sons of Libana.

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The sons of Hagaba. The sons of Salmai. The sons

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of Hanan. The sons of Gidel. The sons of Gahar.

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The sons of Riah. The sons of Rezin. The sons

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of Nekoda. The sons of Gezam. The sons of Uzzah.

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The sons of Paseah. The sons of Bessai. The sons

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of Meonim. The sons of Nefishesim. The sons of

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Bakbuk. The sons of Hakufa. The sons of Harhur.

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The sons of Bezlit. The sons of Mehida. The sons

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of Harsha. The sons of Barkos. The sons of Sisera.

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The sons of Tama. the sons of Neziah, and the

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sons of Hatifah, the sons of Solomon's servants,

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the sons of Sotai, the sons of Soferit, the sons

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of Perida, the sons of Jala, the sons of Darkon,

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the sons of Gidel, the sons of Shephatia, the

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sons of Hatil, the sons of Pokerit of Zebaim,

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and the sons of Amun. All the Nethanim and the

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sons of Solomon's servants were 392. And these

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were the ones who came up from Tel -Mela, Tel

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-Harsha, Cherub, Adon, and Emer. But they could

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not identify their father's house nor their lineage,

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whether they were of Israel, the sons of Deliah,

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the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekodah, 642,

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and of the priests, the sons of Habiah, the sons

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of Koz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife

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of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite,

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and was called by their name. These sought their

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listing among those who were registered by genealogy,

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but it was not found. Therefore they were excluded

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from the priesthood as defiled. And the governor

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said to them that they should not eat of the

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most holy things till a priest could consult

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with the Urim and Tumim. Altogether the whole

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assembly was 42 ,360, besides their male and

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female servants, of whom there were 7 ,337, and

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they had 245 men and women singers, their horses

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were 736, their mules 245, their camels 435,

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and donkeys 6 ,720. And some of the heads of

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the fathers' houses gave to the work. The governor

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gave to the treasury 1 ,000 gold drachmas, 50

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basins, and 530 priestly garments. Some of the

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heads of the fathers' houses gave to the treasury

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of the work 20 ,000 gold drachmas and 2 ,200

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silver minas. And that which the rest of the

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people gave was 20 ,000 gold drachmas, 2 ,000

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silver minas, and 67 priestly garments. So the

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priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers,

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some of the people, the Nethanim, and all Israel

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dwelt in their cities. When the seventh month

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came, the children of Israel were in their cities.

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I hope you enjoyed today's reading as much as

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I did, and I look forward to seeing you again

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tomorrow to continue on our journey. God bless

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you and have a great day.