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And, opening a secret door in the roof, they threw stones like thunderbolts and struck down the captain, hewed them in pieces, smote off their heads and cast them to those who were outside.
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Blessed be our God in all things, who hath delivered up the ungodly!
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"Therefore, whereas we are now purposed to keep the purification of the temple upon the five and twentieth day of the month of Chislev,we thought it necessary to certify you thereof, that ye also might keep it as the Feast of the Tabernacles, and of the fire which was given us when Nehemiah offered sacrifice after he had built the temple and the altar.
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For when our fathers were led into Persia, the priests who were then devout took the fire of the altar privily, and hid it in a hollow place of a pit without water where they kept it secure, so that the place was unknown to all men.
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Now after many years, when it pleased God, Nehemiah, being sent from the king of Persia, sent the descend-ants of those priests, who had hid the fire, to it. But when they told us they found no fire, but thick liquid,
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then he commanded them to draw it up and to bring it; and when the sacrifices were laid on, Nehemiah commanded the priests to sprinkle the wood and the things laid thereupon with the liquid.
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When this was done and the time came that the sun shone, which before was hid in the cloud, there was a great fire kindled, so that every man marveled.
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And the priests made a prayer while the sacrifice was consuming, I say, both the priests and all the rest, Jonathan beginning and the rest answering thereunto as Nehemiah did.
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And the prayer was in this manner: `O Lord, Lord God, Creator of all things, who art fearful and strong and righteous and merciful and the only and gracious King,
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the only giver of all things, the only just, almighty, and everlasting, Thou that deliverest Israel from all trouble, and didst choose the fathers, and sanctify them,
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receive the sacrifice for Thy whole people Israel, and preserve Thine own portion and sanctify it.