Upset, Jael called XYZ Burgers to complain. Jael [N] [H] [S] mountain-goat, the wife of Heber the Kenite ( Judges 4:17-22 ). Jael and Judith were also used as propaganda figures by Protestants and Catholics alike to symbolize the violent overthrow of heresy. One day, I was sobbing and crying out to God that I wouldnt have a boy. Jael could have easily been included in Hebrews chapter eleven, the so-called Hall of Faith because she was a heroine who snatched victory out of the jaws of defeat in helping Israel defeat a much larger, more experienced, and far superior Canaanite army during the time called the time of the Judges.. During the battle, the Lord confused Sisera and his army and chariots. Deborah started the battle to defeat the enemy of Israel and Jael finished it. Jael was the wife of Heber - "Now, Heber the Kenite, a descendant of Moses' brother-in-law, Hobab, had moved away from the other members of his tribe and pitched his tent by the oak of Zaanannim near Kedesh." (4:11) "Meanwhile, Sisera ran to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because Heber's family was on friendly terms . He entered the tent of a married woman. But this is not realistic. Jael was the wife of Heber the Kenite who is celebrated in the Song of Deborah in the Book of Judges in chapter five. At that very moment Barak came by Jaels tent, looking for Sisera. He fell asleep and while he slept, she killed him. She would have had no settled home, moving from place to place as a way of obtaining food, finding pasture for livestock, or otherwise making a living. During Jaels adult life, the Israelites were being horrifically oppressed for over twenty years by the Canaanites King Jabin. She was the wife of Israelite King Ahab. She, very quickly, formed a plan and used what was available, what she had at hand. Her grieving husband cuts her body up into twelve pieces, and sends it out to the 12 tribes of Israel as a stark reminder of the lust and violence that were the Canaanites, and to severely warn them against co-habiting with such mongrels. She was a non-Israelite and did not worship Jehovah. It could just mean that their lives will take turns they didnt see coming. The name Delilah in Hebrew means "weak; poor.". Moses lived among the Kenites in Midian until he was called by God to deliver the Israelites from Egypt. The Story of Miriam in the Bible. That would make the mountain goat literally a "benefiter of practical skill.". You will need to know the difference. His family was at peace with King Jabin of Hazor. This article is part of our People from the Bible Series featuring the most well-known historical names and figures from Scripture. And Jael took Sisera and pushed him onto the ground from the bed. She also accepted Hegai's advice on what to was to request before going in to see the king (Esther 2:15). Jaels tent is seen as sacred ground, and this is why Sisera enters: he believes himself to be safe. Dont get me wrongJesus never broke rules to be rude or needlessly provoke people. When the Jews ate at King Achashverosh's (non-kosher) party, they brought death upon themselves. If anyone comes by and asks you, Is anyone in there? say, No, But Jael found a tent peg and a hammer. (LogOut/ Want to know how? The woman lost her will to live due to her insurmountable shame. Jael and her family were a bit like Abraham and Sarah. The example of Jael, however, show It can be easy to think that we must possess great skills in order to be used by the Lord to do great things for His kingdom. Adam is Adham, meaning 'dust of the earth'. 1 Clearly one of the Bible's most outstanding figures, she served ancient Israel as a prophet, 2 judge, military leader, songwriter, and minstrel (Judges 4-5). 5 Things You Should Know about the ESV Bible Translation. If God has given you a word or vision, I want you to keep the faith that He will be faithful to complete it. Her Joy: To be lauded by Deborah and Barak for her part in a decisive victory. She pulled down and packed the tents when they traveled to another place. All rights reserved. He was such a coward. The name itself signifies a wild mountain goat - apropos for a Bedouin's wife whose feet and character stay sturdy amongst the harsh crevices, rocks and unforgiving surroundings of her society. Sisera died, Barak came by Jaels tent, looking for Sisera. In spiritual warfare, you have to know who the enemy is. In those days, women made their own tents and pitched them. Feeling secure once inside her tent he appears to proceed giving her orders to tell anyone asking whether there is a man within her tent to tell them no. Required fields are marked *. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us, Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.. Just before he fell asleep, Sisera instructed Jael to stand at the door of the tent and lie to any man who appeared to be looking for him, to which she seemed to agree (Judges 4:20). Respond to their environment 4. Conclusion The Israelites finally destroyed him, Jael was the wife of Heber the Kenite. Lead them to Mount Tabor. The Kenites were a Nomadic tribe of people who lived near Canaan. Common jackals are a little smaller than wolves and are recognizable by their bushy tails. She has much to teach us about the fact that God can and will use anybody as His chosen vessel. She was the wife of a man named Lappidoth. But only the chief man of the household could offer ritual hospitality. and then I heard Judges 4. Because of the practice of one man having multiple wives, each wife made, pitched and maintained her own tent. Sisera was the commander of the Canaanite army. Jael, however, offered refuge to a fleeing enemy general, NOT ritual hospitality. We need to prioritize His glory and His competence over our own. A woman who rose from obscurity to greatness, and becomes synonymous with the likes of other well-known tentdwellers: Sarah, Hagar, Leah and Rachel. Sisera was pursued by the people of Israel at the request of Deborah the Judge. When he asked for water, she gave him milk. He literally chooses: In other words, God chooses imperfect people to be conduits of His will so that He can extend His grace to them and display His glory through them (2nd Corinthians 12:9-10). Worse, he did this when she was alone. She used the resources given to her in this situation by God. Deborah and Jael: Bible Women, Women Warriors, http://www.womeninthebible.net/1.8.Deborah_Jael.htm, Deborah and Jael, Dr. Claude Mariottini, http://claudemariottini.com/2009/07/06/deborah-and-jael/ Llanera, Daniel Kevin and Wilmington, Rebekah and Shoo, Haika and Lisboa, Paulo and Jarman, Ian and Wong, Stephanie and Nizza, Jael and Sharma, Dushyant and Kalathil, Dhanya and Rajeev, Surya and Williams, Scott and Yadav, Rahul and Qureshi, Zubair and Narayanan, Ram Prakash and Furlong, Niall and Westall, Sam and Nair, Sunil, Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19 Patients in a Regional . Second, Sisera went to the tent of a woman. Jal was an ally by blood of the Israelitish nation; [Sisera, the general of] their chief oppressor, who had mightily oppressed them for the space of twenty years, now lay defenseless before her; and he was, moreover, one of those whom Israel was bound by the command of Jehovah to extirpate. If you are in a spiritual battle, what do you already have that you can use? She didnt attempt to beat him with a strategy she knew she was not going to be able to use to win. More positively, Jael was included in sets of the female Nine Worthies, such as the prints by Hans Burgkmair. Exactly who was Jael? Deborah is one of the major judges (charismatic military leaders, not juridical figures) in the story of how Israel takes the land of Canaan. As the predicted battle between Canaan and Israel ensues, it is clearly evident that another David vs. Goliath scenario was playing out. At her feet he sank, he fell; And then, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, Come, I will show you the man whom you seek. And when he went into her tent, there lay Sisera, dead with the peg in his temple. (Judges 4:21-22). What can we learn from Jael? Jael, Shawna R.T. Atteberry, http://www.shawnaatteberry.com/2008/12/11/436/. Easton's Bible Dictionary (New and reviseded.). With no one else around, Ehud tells the king of a private dream he wanted to share, and whispered for the king to come close. The Canaanites were defeated, and Sisera fled the scene.[3]. Her decision was an easy one. The Life of Ruth - 5 Essential Faith Lessons, 3 Things You Didnt Know About Mary (Mother of Jesus), 5 Powerful Lessons from the Unusual Story of Jael. Everything we do should be for the sake of honoring and bringing glory to God. If anyone comes by and asks you, Is anyone in there? say, No (Judges 4:20) But Jael found a tent peg and a hammer. 1. If she did not act, she probably would have been raped by a vicious Canaanite man. Judges 4 tells us that God sold Israel into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan because the Israelites were doing what was evil in His sight. Here Artemisia shows Jael wearing a 17th-century version of the simple sort of dress that might be worn by a respectable tradesman's wife. Lets get to know Jael a little better and see what lessons she can teach us. She realizes that her womanhood is actually a strength to be leveraged in her leadership, not a weakness to be discarded. The A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). So here Jael sits, with the commander of the Canaanite army in her tent, and she has a decision to make. Made of cells , at least one 2. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. And if she did not act, Israel would not have been saved. Women of the Bible, Jean E. Syswerda, Zondervan Publishers, 1999. No one would expect it, and no one would find him there. Jael may have seen this actual body part in her country, or at the very least heard about it. As he drew near, Jael invited him to enter her tent. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Sisera was the commander of the Canaanite forces and so Barak and his men attacked Sisera. When he asked for water, she gave him milk (possibly to make him more sleepy!). Feminine hospitality is a powerful thing to a man. Step 2 declare three integers x, y & z. And the hand of the children of Israel grew stronger and stronger against Jabin king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.. Long story short, we have a vibrant, fun little girl named Jael who is the joy of our lives. During . When the Holy Spirit prompts us to act, we usually dont have long to think. Scholars[10] have long recognized that the Song of Deborah, on the basis of linguistic evidence (archaic biblical Hebrew), is one of the oldest parts of the Bible, dating back to the 12th century BCE.[11]. And just like the Virgin Mary, she became an unlikely heroine of a prophecy fulfilled. Grow, develop and die 5. Esther's narrative depicts a young girl maturing into her God-given duty and setting an example for all time. That would put him to sleep, a very deep sleep. God's . I will help you defeat Sisera there, Barak said to Deborah, I will go and do this if you will go with me. They also can tolerate dehydration and high body temperatures. She managed to lead the enemys iron-wheeled chariots onto the marshy land where they became bogged down, useless and helpless. In Renaissance works the subject is one of the most commonly shown in the Power of Women topos, with other biblical women who triumphed over men, such as Judith or Delilah. Eve is the Great Mother, Everywoman. In the narrative about the military heroine Deborah, Yael kills Sisera, the Canaanite general of King Jabin, after he escapes from the battle with Deborah's general, Barak. Jael was a Nomadic, tent dweller. Copyright 2022 Nina Dafe. They are shaggy animals, with white coats and moderately long horns. Jael is perceptive enough to understand why this is happening: she equates the suffocating oppression her people are enduring due to Israels lack of faith and worship. T here are many great examples of strong women in the Bible to learn from. Colossians 2:13-15 paints a beautiful picture of the victory Jesus gaveand continues to give usover sin: And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. The irony of this battle was Baal, the main god of the Canaanites was considered god of storms and weather. The Kenites may have been a part of the Midianite group. The armies met on the plain of Esdraelon, where Sisera's iron-bound chariots became hampered by the mud caused by a downpour during the night that caused the Wadi Kishon to overflow its banks. [1], As of 2016, Yael was one of the most common female first names in contemporary Israel.[2]. In fact, God was going to sell Sisera into the hand of a woman instead, and give her the gloryand that woman (spoiler alert!) And Jael took the stake and put it on his temple and struck it with a hammer. Still, for a meaning of the name Jael, both BDB Theological Dictionary and NOBSE Study Bible Name List read Mountain Goat. By the way, if you prefer to listen rather than continue to read, feel free to play the audio below. (Matthew 23), He touched lepers even though the rules of his day said that doing so would make him unclean. She brought him cream in a lordly dish. She brought out cream in a lordly bowl. Today our battle isnt against a person; it is against the powers of darkness. "J-L". Before we talk anymore about Jael, we have to talk about what was going on in Israel at the time. They did not know what to do. A mighty warrior, judge, prophetess, and minstrel. Most Blessed of Women? Place in Biblical Texts I will make Sisera, the commander of King Jabins army, come to you. They had the latest technology in the form of 900 iron chariots. Forty stations within a 20 km2 Maltese maerl bed were sampled by grab to gather data on sediment granulometry and the percentage mass, sphericity, and morphotype of rhodoliths. She is very ambitious. Then she tucked him into bed like a baby. She quietly went to Sisera. Josephus, Flavius. He is the one who gives life; he is the one who cancels our debts; he is the one who nails our sins to the cross once and for all. While we are not sure about her faith, we are sure about her courage. 1.4 Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was Obedient. The story of the Bethlehem woman and Lots daughters are only two among thousands of similar stories during this time. Before we talk anymore about Jael, we have to talk about what was going on in Israel at the time. 1 March 2009. She covered him with a rug to hide and comfort him. Sisera appears to have gone into Jaels tent, at her beckoning, instead of her husband Hebers tent. He asked for water, she gave him milk; Step 1 Start. Be highly organized Slideshow. The Israelite army, however, had strategically no chance of success since they were sorely lacking in soldiers and weaponry. Remember that as a woman, you too have the ability and the right to discern Gods Truth and will, regardless of the war and chaos surrounding you. Lead them to Mount Tabor. After Barak demurs at the behest of the prophetess Deborah, God turns Sisera over to Jael, killing him by driving a tent peg through his skull after he enters her tent near the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh. Deborah had great reason to applaud Jaels actions in her poem. In Hebrew, Jael means "mountain goat" so it certainly doesn't sound like a. So on that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan in the presence of the children of Israel. He brought the battlefield to his allys encampment. The NIV Study Bible 10th Anniversary Edition, Zondervan Publishing House, 1995. Jael used the trust that Sisera had for her. By Jaels one act, she saves Israel from oppression, reverses the traitorious bedmates of Israel with Canaan, demolishes the law of rape under the guise of hospitality, saves her own reputation, becomes a woman warrior in her own right, and fulfills Deborahs prophecy. When Moses fled Egypt and went to Midian he met Jethro and eventually married his daughter Zipporah, thus marrying into the tribe of Kenite. Cultivate gratitude to God first and foremost. He had separated himself and his wife Jael from the other Kenites and pitched their tent in the plain of Zaanaim, which is near Kedesh in the tribal territory of Naphtali. of midrash praises Yael, wife of Heber the Kenite, and includes her among the devout women converts, together with Hagar, Asenath, Zipporah, Shiphrah, Puah, the daughter of Pharaoh, Rahab, and Ruth (Yalkut Shimoni on Joshua, para . God tends to bypass the people that man would think are the most qualified to manifest His word in favour of those that man would overlook. Jael, under the circumstances, had no better weapon than the tent peg. Have you ever read any of Davids prayers? Reference Library, Anchor Bible Publishers, 1998. And isnt our human experience filled with violence? Jal (aka Jal Malli; born Rahel Krebs; 19 August 1979 in Bern, Switzerland) is a Swiss musician who was the frontwoman and lead singer of the band Lunik from 1998 to 2013.. She worked several times with Delerium, co-writing, and singing "After All" on their album Chimera, "Lost and Found" on their album Nuages du Monde, and "Light Your Light" on their 2012 album Music Box Opera. 4 and 5), who inspired the Israelites to a mighty victory over their Canaanite oppressors (the people who lived in the Promised Land, later Palestine, that Moses spoke of before its conquest by the Israelites); the "Song of Deborah" (Judg. Evil could challenge but never conquer God. (Gen. 15:18, 19). When Sisera got to her tent she invited him in and he entered without fear because there was peace between Jabinand the house of Heber. The chief man of the household could only offer ritual hospitality meaning he had to protect and care for the guest, even at the expense of everyone else belonging to his household. Others see her as a model of courage and power, a woman who risked her life to do the will of God, who shattered role expectations, and invites all of us to greater freedom. Those enemies who are relentless in pursuing the called of God will be temporarily or permanently taken care of by God. The story of how she met the king is a fascinating study on an interesting lady. Barak and his men defeated Siseras army, but Sisera left his chariot and ran away on foot (Judges 4:15) but Sisera got away ran away to the tent where a woman named Jael lived. At that time, Deborah was the ruling judge in Israel. When Sisera showed up, this should have been the case. To take a refugee into her tent, show him hospitality and make him feel safe, and then kill him was an act of gruesome treachery. In God's good design, men are rulers and fighters; they bear the responsibility of providing . 1.3 Mary was not Loud and Boastful. She spun the goat hair, wove it, and made the tents. He ordered her to lie to protect his life. Through her husband Heber, Jael had kinship ties with the Israelites. Today, this godly woman, along with the heroine Deborah the Judge, are part of the recorded history of the nation of Israel and hailed as women who courageously obeyed God, even at the risk of their own lives. Your email address will not be published. Something to consider:The devil whispered in my ear, Youre not strong enough to withstand the storm. Today I whispered in the devils ear, I am the storm.. A deeper understanding of people in the Bible. She also assured him that God would defeat Sisera through him however Barak refused to go to battle without her (Judges 4:6-8). Charles Spurgeon once gave a sermon where he compared Sisera to sin. Faith, not fear, wins. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Jael was a tent-dweller. Jael was some kind of woman. Since the tent she was staying in was a womans tent, there were no weapons nearby. As such, Jael shows us that God will use absolutely anybody to bring His will about. Change). II Kings chapter 4, where we find her story, is also the haftarah portion which corresponds to parshat Vayera which tells of the miraculous birth of Abraham and Sarah's son Isaac as well as the binding of Isaac.There are at least three clear parallels: hospitality, a prophecy to a barren woman that she will bear a son, and the near-death experience of that son. The Canaanite men kidnap the Bethlehem wife, brutally beat, torture, gang-rape her, and leave her for dead. The fact is, if God could use Jael to free the children of Israel and bring peace to their land, He can use you for whatever He has called you to do too. A woman who was married to a mercenary and opportunist, but herself was faithful to the Israel nation and to God. Most Blessed is Jael among women, indeed. Rather, it makes you a perfect candidate for Him to show His glory through. (The other Prophetess' are: Sarah, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, and Esther . I will make Sisera, his chariots, and his army come to the Kishon River. A Character Study. Deborah agrees to go, but tells Barak that because of the way he responded to Gods call there would be no glory for him in Siseras defeat. ", And Jael said to him, "Go, boast before your father in hell and tell him that you have fallen into the hands of a woman. There is no way that she could win a physical fight with him. The war wasnt won by this one deed, but this was the beginning of the end of the Canaanites reign over Israel. Jael was no match for him, neither in size nor military strategy. . And Ehud smotes him in the heart, leaving the dagger in his body with a treacherous slight of hand. And behold, as Barak was pursuing Sisera, Jael went out to meet him and said to him, Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking. So he went in to her tent, and there lay Sisera dead, with the tent peg in his temple.. On the day of battle, God caused it to start raining. But she is mentioned in Judges 5 as well in the song of Deborah and Barak. If we are honest, many times our enemies want to see our destruction. If you are a Bible study teacher, you are free to allow this content to influence the lessons you teach or the sermons you present. All the Women of the Bible. Deborahs prophesy was fulfilled in that a woman did indeed defeat Israels enemy. The word folk comes from the German word volk, which means people. Tweet. And not just any milk. We have to be vigilant and calculated in killing it. The Lord will allow a woman to defeat Sisera, Barak and his men attacked Sisera. Jabin was trying to conquer Israel, which was at that time under the leadership of Deborah, a prophetess and the only female to judge the nation of Israel. Remember too, the horrific account as noted by Jewish historian, Josephus. Sisera was very tired, so he was sleeping. Lets follow His (and Jaels) example and not get so caught up in following religious and cultural rules that we miss the calling of God to challenge the evil and oppression in the world. Her experience shows how God can maneuver events to fulfill prophecy. Jael was the wife of Heber the Kenite. Jael was a woman in the Bible who helped the Israelites subdue Jabin the Canaanite king by single-handedly killing the commander of his army, Sisera. She used a bowl of milk and a tent peg. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenantnot of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Blessed is she among women. A distinctive honor not just given to the Virgin Mary, but also to a little-known nomadic warrior who descended from a priestly clan in 1125 B.C. But as Ive grown in my walk with Christ, Ive come to appreciate that the Bible is about seeing God in the realness of our human experiences. How different would the world look if we seized opportunities, used our resources, freed the oppressed, honored God, and fought like Jael? Even when we dont feel skilled or equipped or prepared, He ensures that we are for the sake of His glory. Killing Sisera was the ultimate betrayal of a guest. Heber mistakenly assumes that the Canaanites have the military advantage; he forgets that God is on Israels side. The other primary female character, Jael, has not been viewed so positively. They therefore cried out to the Lord who sent His answer via Deborah, a judge and prophetess. She had to ignore all the fear, all the what-ifs.. She quietly went to Sisera. And she smote Sisera; she crushed his head, After Ahab died, Jezebel lived for ten to twenty more years while their sons, Ahaziah and Jehoram, ruled consecutively. She pounded Sisera, she pierced his head. Key Scripture: Judges 4-5 (New International Version) Midian has been referred to as a geographical area, a tribe or a confederation of tribes brought together for worship purposes. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/9279-kenites, Jael: Bible, Jewish Womens Archive, Tikva Frymer-Kensky. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. Then she used a tent peg and hammer. She is confident. (Joshua 20:1-7) Sisera ultimately chooses this tent, this family, this land of protection to flee to for safety after the Canaanites disasterous defeat. Learn how your comment data is processed. Chapter 14--Jael Her Name Means "A Wild or Mountain Goat" Her Character: Decisive and courageous, she seized the opportunity to slay an enemy of God's people. Women, especially Jael, then had every reason to be terrified for fear of being raped at the hand of her guest. And Jael was living amongst the Canaanites, harboring a Canaanite general, knowing full well the evil he was capable of. No matter how difficult or threatening the situation, God's power within us is greater than we can ever fully see or comprehend. We do not know if Jael was concerned for her safety once Sisera awoke from his sleep, or if she was just doing the will of God with the action she took. In the heat of the day, the king and Ehud sat together in the parlor, conversing, laughing, and sharing stories. but not ", Who Was Jael In The Bible? David thanked her for this and repented of his desire to seek revenge. Behold I will throw him down on the ground from the bed on which he sleeps; and if he does not feel it, I know that he has been handed over." In any case, it would still be disastrous for Jaels reputation for Sisera to be alone with her. She met the King and Ehud smotes him in the Song of the! E. Syswerda, Zondervan Publishers, 1999 the bed t here are great... 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Syswerda, Zondervan Publishing,..., offered refuge to a mercenary and opportunist, but herself was faithful the! R.T. Atteberry, http: //www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/9279-kenites, Jael shows us that God will use as! A young girl maturing into her God-given duty and setting an example for all time strong enough withstand. Of honoring and bringing glory to God him unclean was no match for him to sleep a! A tent peg and a hammer Sisera fled the scene. [ 3 ] rules ) they also tolerate. Girl maturing into her tent, and leave her for this and repented of his day said that so! And packed the tents when they traveled to another place Jewish Womens Archive, Tikva Frymer-Kensky with. More sleepy! ) took Sisera and pushed him onto the marshy where... Or at the request of Deborah the judge in was a womans tent, looking for.! A fleeing enemy general, not a weakness to be vigilant and calculated in it... Over twenty years by the Canaanites were defeated, and Sisera fled the scene. [ ]., torture, gang-rape her, and she has much to teach us with the in. The female Nine Worthies, such as the predicted battle between Canaan and Israel ensues, it makes you perfect! S ( non-kosher ) party, they brought death upon themselves woman and Lots daughters are only two thousands... No better weapon than the tent she was alone here are many great examples of strong in! Barak for her part in a decisive victory didnt see coming Jael used the trust that Sisera had her. Thing to a fleeing enemy general, not a weakness to be safe be vigilant and calculated in it. For this and repented of his day said that doing so would make the mountain literally., men are rulers and fighters ; they bear the responsibility of.... So here Jael sits, with white coats and moderately long horns animals, with the commander the! Better weapon than the tent of a man named Lappidoth as propaganda figures by Protestants and Catholics alike to the. 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