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Therefore they were exceedingly afraid of him, and were troubled for Jerusalem, and for the
temple of the Lord their God:
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For they were newly returned from the captivity, and all the people of Judea were lately gathered
together: and the vessels, and the altar, and the house, were sanctified after the profanation.
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Therefore they sent into all the coasts of Samaria, and the villages and to Bethoron, and Belmen,
and Jericho, and to Choba, and Esora, and to the valley of Salem:
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And possessed themselves beforehand of all the tops of the high mountains, and fortified the
villages that were in them, and laid up victuals for the provision of war: for their fields were of late
reaped.
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Also Joacim the high priest, which was in those days in Jerusalem, wrote to them that dwelt
in Bethulia, and Betomestham, which is over against Esdraelon toward the open country, near to
Dothaim,
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Charging them to keep the passages of the hill country: for by them there was an entrance into
Judea, and it was easy to stop them that would come up, because the passage was straight, for two
men at the most.
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And the children of Israel did as Joacim the high priest had commanded them, with the ancients
of all the people of Israel, which dwelt at Jerusalem.
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Then every man of Israel cried to God with great fervency, and with great vehemency did they
humble their souls:
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Both they, and their wives and their children, and their cattle, and every stranger and hireling,
and their servants bought with money, put sackcloth upon their loins.
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Thus every man and women, and the little children, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, fell
before the temple, and cast ashes upon their heads, and spread out their sackcloth before the face
of the Lord: also they put sackcloth about the altar,
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And cried to the God of Israel all with one consent earnestly, that he would not give their
children for a prey, and their wives for a spoil, and the cities of their inheritance to destruction, and
the sanctuary to profanation and reproach, and for the nations to rejoice at.
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So God heard their prayers, and looked upon their afflictions: for the people fasted many days
in all Judea and Jerusalem before the sanctuary of the Lord Almighty.
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And Joacim the high priest, and all the priests that stood before the Lord, and they which
ministered unto the Lord, had their loins girt with sackcloth, and offered the daily burnt offerings,
with the vows and free gifts of the people,
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And had ashes on their mitres, and cried unto the Lord with all their power, that he would
look upon all the house of Israel graciously.
CHAPTER 5
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KJV Bible