WEBVTT - The Bloody Nile

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<v Speaker 1>Previously on the chosen people.

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<v Speaker 2>I do not know this God of yours, who is

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<v Speaker 2>the lord that I should obey. I am the image

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<v Speaker 2>of Rah, the Lord of the Nile. The sun rises

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<v Speaker 2>and sets according to my greatness. I will not let

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<v Speaker 2>your people go. Moses, I do not acknowledge this God

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<v Speaker 2>of yours.

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<v Speaker 3>Treadlightly, Rameses, the God of the Hebrews, will not relent.

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<v Speaker 2>Is that a threat, Moses?

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<v Speaker 3>It is not a threat. It is a promise.

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<v Speaker 4>Pharaoh has refused to respond to me, but he will

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<v Speaker 4>in time. For now, I shall make you like a

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<v Speaker 4>god to Pharaoh, an adversary. He can see and hear.

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<v Speaker 4>Your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. He shall speak

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<v Speaker 4>and perform wonders on your behalf. He shall tell Pharaoh

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<v Speaker 4>to let my people go.

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<v Speaker 5>These mere tricks will not bend my will of Moses.

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<v Speaker 5>I will not let your people go. Their burdens will

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<v Speaker 5>continue to increase until their spines shatter and their hope breaks.

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<v Speaker 6>They will know that I am Pharaoh.

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<v Speaker 7>Undisputed and unchangeable.

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<v Speaker 2>My will is final, My bessult.

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<v Speaker 5>Is as steady as the stones that built my empire.

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<v Speaker 2>I am my God.

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<v Speaker 3>I will not be molved. Do not question my power,

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<v Speaker 3>You only think you have.

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<v Speaker 8>What will happen now, Moses, What will the Lord do next?

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<v Speaker 3>Pharaoh's heart is as hard as the stones that build

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<v Speaker 3>his Nimnire is chosen to defy the Now. The river

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<v Speaker 3>will run red, Egypt will tremble with the hand of him.

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<v Speaker 9>The Nile flowed Crimson, and Egypt's illusion of control shattered

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<v Speaker 9>with the very first plague. Shallo, my friends from here

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<v Speaker 9>in the Holy Land. Welcome to the Chosen People. I'm

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<v Speaker 9>ya l Ekstein with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.

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<v Speaker 9>Each day we'll hear a dramatic story inspired by the Bible,

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<v Speaker 9>stories filled with timeless lessons of faith, love, and the

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<v Speaker 9>meaning of life. Through israel story, we find this truth

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<v Speaker 9>that we are all chosen for something great. If you

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<v Speaker 9>haven't yet followed the podcast, be sure to do so now.

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<v Speaker 9>That way you never have to miss an episode, and

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<v Speaker 9>that small step helps us tremendously as we try to

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<v Speaker 9>be discovered by more people so that we can inspire them.

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<v Speaker 9>If you're interested in finding out more about the prophetic,

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<v Speaker 9>life saving work of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews,

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<v Speaker 9>you can visit our website at IFCJ. Dot Org Today's

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<v Speaker 9>stories inspired by Exodus seven fourteen to twenty five. It

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<v Speaker 9>unfolds in the shadow of an empire, a people once free,

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<v Speaker 9>now grown under the weight of chains, their backs broken

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<v Speaker 9>by the taskmasters of Egypt. Pharaoh, the self proclaimed god King,

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<v Speaker 9>had hardened his heart, tightened his grip on the Israelites.

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<v Speaker 9>But here, in the tense time between tyranny and liberation,

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<v Speaker 9>God speaks and pharaoh scoffs. But the battle is just beginning.

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<v Speaker 9>The waters of the Nile, once the lifeblood of Egypt

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<v Speaker 9>will turn red with blood. Will Pharaoh bow or will

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<v Speaker 9>this stubborn pride lead his nation to a deeper judgment.

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<v Speaker 1>The Nile flowed like a vein of life through the

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<v Speaker 1>sun drenched heart of Egypt, its waters glimmering beneath the

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<v Speaker 1>weight of Ra's gaze. The reeds that fringed its banks

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<v Speaker 1>whispered in the hot wind. On this morning, the court

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<v Speaker 1>of Pharaoh had assembled upon the river's edge. Their eyes

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<v Speaker 1>were fixed upon their king. The entire assembly was transfixed

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<v Speaker 1>by him. Pharaoh, Lord of the Two Lands, son of Ra,

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<v Speaker 1>stood tall and splendid at the head of the gathering,

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<v Speaker 1>his skin burnished by the sun gleamed with sacred oils.

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<v Speaker 1>His eyes coalined and severe, seemed to drink in the

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<v Speaker 1>world around him, as if he could command the very

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<v Speaker 1>earth and sky to bow before behind him, Nebermunn and

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<v Speaker 1>his priests, arrayed in white linen and leopard skins, chanted

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<v Speaker 1>hymns in the ancient tongue. Their voices rose and fell

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<v Speaker 1>like the very waters of the Nile, Incense cold in

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<v Speaker 1>the air, thick with the sense of frankincense, and there

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<v Speaker 1>it smoke, twisting like serpents, before dissipating into the arid sky.

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<v Speaker 1>The statues of the gods glared with the cold painted

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<v Speaker 1>eyes of Eternity, Osiris with his green skin and white crown,

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<v Speaker 1>Hathor with her horns and sun disk, and Horus, the

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<v Speaker 1>falcon headed god, who watched with sharp eyes. As the

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<v Speaker 1>ceremony unfolded, Pharaoh stepped forward, his sandals pressing into the

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<v Speaker 1>wet earth, and he raised his arms to the heavens.

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<v Speaker 1>Sweat beaded upon his brow, but he did not waver.

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<v Speaker 6>Great and mighty Gods, your son, no one who speaks

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<v Speaker 6>with your tongues, who walks with your feet upon this

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<v Speaker 6>sacred ground.

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<v Speaker 1>The priests behind him echoed his words, their voices rising

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<v Speaker 1>in a powerful wave that swept through the gathered people.

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<v Speaker 1>The onlookers knelt in reverence, for to see Pharaoh perform

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<v Speaker 1>the rites was to witness the divine made flesh. Pharaoh

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<v Speaker 1>was not just a king. He was the living God

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<v Speaker 1>on earth, the intermediary between the mortal world and the

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<v Speaker 1>celestial realms. He turned his gaze to the waters of

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<v Speaker 1>the Nile, the great river upon which all life in

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<v Speaker 1>Egypt depended. In its currents lay the secrets of death

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<v Speaker 1>and rebirth, the pulse of a civilization that had thrived

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<v Speaker 1>for a thousand years.

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<v Speaker 6>Happy, Great God of the Nile, bringer of life and

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<v Speaker 6>the bounty.

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<v Speaker 7>And before you, as your chosen one, as the sun

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<v Speaker 7>who guards your waters, then honors your floe. Hear me now,

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<v Speaker 7>and let your blessings fall upon my land. Let your

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<v Speaker 7>waters rise, Let the flood come in its season, so

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<v Speaker 7>that Egypt may be nourished, and our granaries may burst

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<v Speaker 7>with grain and our fields swell with green.

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<v Speaker 1>Nebermund moved forward, bearing a large golden chalice filled with

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<v Speaker 1>the blood of a sacrificial bull, an offering to Happy

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<v Speaker 1>The blood was fresh, still warm, and its scent was

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<v Speaker 1>coppery and thick in the heat. They handed the chalice

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<v Speaker 1>to Pharaoh, who raised it high for all to see.

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<v Speaker 1>His lips moved in silent prayer, his eyes closed in concentration. Then,

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<v Speaker 1>with a swift motion, he poured the blood into the

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<v Speaker 1>Nile heart. The crimson liquid splash against the dark water,

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<v Speaker 1>mingling with the river's flow, as if to bind the

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<v Speaker 1>gods to his will. A hush fell over the assembly,

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<v Speaker 1>the air taut with anticipation. The people held their breath,

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<v Speaker 1>waiting for a sign, a blessing, or perhaps a curse.

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<v Speaker 1>The Niles waters seemed to ripple more violently for a moment,

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<v Speaker 1>as if something ancient and unseen stirred beneath its surface.

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<v Speaker 1>Rameses turned to the crowd, gesturing to the water as

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<v Speaker 1>if its current was a result of his power. With

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<v Speaker 1>arrogance dripping from his paws, he regarded.

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<v Speaker 10>Them, see my people happy excepts my offering. The gods

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<v Speaker 10>favor me. The river will rise, the fields will prosper,

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<v Speaker 10>and the people of Egypt will know abundance. Ay, the

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<v Speaker 10>image Chavas have wield the aspanity of a nation into existence.

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<v Speaker 1>As the priests sang their praises, the winds shifted, and

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<v Speaker 1>a sudden chill seemed to pass over the assembly. Then

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<v Speaker 1>the crowd stirred. Pharaohs sent something, a tremor in the air,

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<v Speaker 1>a whisper of something that did not belong. His brow

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<v Speaker 1>furrowed and his smile faded. He turned back to the nile,

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<v Speaker 1>watching as the waters now swirled with a strange, murky eddy,

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<v Speaker 1>as if the river itself resisted his command. It was

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<v Speaker 1>then that the strangers came, a pair of shadowed figures

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<v Speaker 1>descending the slope toward the other side of the river. Moses,

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<v Speaker 1>the man who had once been a member of his household,

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<v Speaker 1>now a shepherd turned desert prophet, and beside him Arrow

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<v Speaker 1>the brash slay, with eyes gleaming like the edge of

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<v Speaker 1>a newly forged blade, they walked with a purpose that

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<v Speaker 1>set Pharaoh's teeth on edge, their steps unhurried, yet filled

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<v Speaker 1>with an unmistakable sense of destiny. The high priest Nebermund

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<v Speaker 1>stepped forward.

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<v Speaker 11>Moses, have you come again to disturb the peace? You

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<v Speaker 11>were raised in Pharaoh's house? You, of all people should

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<v Speaker 11>know what it means to cross a king of Egypt.

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<v Speaker 11>Speak now, and speak wisely.

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<v Speaker 1>Moses stood at the edge of the river, his face

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<v Speaker 1>shadowed beneath the folds of his robe. Aaron stood beside him,

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<v Speaker 1>voice able to boom with authority. The wind carried his

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<v Speaker 1>commands to Pharaoh and his priests.

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<v Speaker 8>Pharaoh, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, Let

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<v Speaker 8>my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness.

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<v Speaker 8>For too long you have kept them in bondage, and

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<v Speaker 8>too long have you defied the will of the almighty.

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<v Speaker 1>Neberman's lips curled into a smile, but it was a

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<v Speaker 1>smile without warmth.

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<v Speaker 3>Look where you are, slave.

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<v Speaker 11>You are on the banks of the Nile, where the

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<v Speaker 11>blood of the gods beats from their hearts to the

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<v Speaker 11>veins of this great nation. You are a fool to

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<v Speaker 11>think your God holds any power here. He is but

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<v Speaker 11>a single voice among many.

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<v Speaker 4>His voice speaks to you.

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<v Speaker 8>Now you would be wise to hear him, Thus declares

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<v Speaker 8>the voice of our God. By this you shall know

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<v Speaker 8>that I am the Lord. Behold, I will strike the

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<v Speaker 8>waters of the Nile with the staff in my hand,

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<v Speaker 8>and they shall be turned to blood.

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<v Speaker 1>Neberman turned and whispered into Pharaoh's ear.

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<v Speaker 11>These slaves, dear, challenge you on the banks of the

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<v Speaker 11>Great Nile.

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<v Speaker 1>Aaron stepped forward, his expression as hard and unyielding as

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<v Speaker 1>the ancient stones of the temples. In his hand he

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<v Speaker 1>held a long, weathered staff that seemed to thrum with

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<v Speaker 1>a power older than the earth itself. Without a word,

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<v Speaker 1>he stretched out his hand over the waters of the Nile,

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<v Speaker 1>and the staff descended with a force as that set

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<v Speaker 1>the us across the surface. For a heartbeat, there was nothing.

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<v Speaker 1>Then a tremor ran through the waters, as if the

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<v Speaker 1>river itself had drawn a deep, shuddering breath. The onlookers

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<v Speaker 1>gasped as the clear blue green currents of the Nile

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<v Speaker 1>began to darken. The color shifted deepened, turning from blue

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<v Speaker 1>to a murky red. The transformation was slow, at first,

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<v Speaker 1>almost subtle, but then it spread like fire through dry reeds.

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<v Speaker 1>The river was becoming thick and plotted, a red so

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<v Speaker 1>dark it was nearly black, like the blood of a

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<v Speaker 1>freshly slain bull left too long in the sun. The

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<v Speaker 1>priests and magicians muttered to each other, eyes widening with disbelief.

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<v Speaker 1>The stench of iron and decay filled the air, and

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<v Speaker 1>the fish in the river began to thrash wildly, as

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<v Speaker 1>if possessed by some unseen madness. Some left clear of

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<v Speaker 1>the water, desperate to escape, only to flop onto the

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<v Speaker 1>muddy banks, their gills opening and closing in a pitiful struggle,

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<v Speaker 1>until they lay still, bloated and stinking beneath the sun.

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<v Speaker 11>You heap thoughts, The Nile is the life source of

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<v Speaker 11>our children, Oh dear you.

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<v Speaker 8>Snile ran red with the blood of Hebrew children. Long

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<v Speaker 8>ago the Lord heard their cris He is not forgotten

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<v Speaker 8>what Pharaoh did. Let this be a sign to you,

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<v Speaker 8>and what is to come if you do not relent.

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<v Speaker 1>Pharaoh's face twisted in fury when he saw the Nile,

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<v Speaker 1>but he held his ground. He would not show weakness,

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<v Speaker 1>not before these men, and certainly not before these peasants

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<v Speaker 1>who watched with wide fearful eyes.

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<v Speaker 12>Magicians share these Hebrews what it means to challenge the

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<v Speaker 12>gods of Egypt.

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<v Speaker 1>Nebermann and the magicians stepped forward, their faces set with

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<v Speaker 1>a cold determination. They raised their staffs and chanted words

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<v Speaker 1>of power, invoking the ancient spirits of the river and

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<v Speaker 1>the hidden gods of the deep. And indeed, by their

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<v Speaker 1>tricks and arts, they too turned small pots of water

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<v Speaker 1>to blood, smirking as they did so, their eyes darting

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<v Speaker 1>to Pharaoh for approofal, but the river the Great Nine

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<v Speaker 1>itself remained a rolling torrent of.

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<v Speaker 3>Dark, foul blood.

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<v Speaker 1>The magician's eyes flickered with uncertainty, and their hands trembled

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<v Speaker 1>upon their staffs, and the people began to murmur and

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<v Speaker 1>fear to the root where arrogance had once rained. Moses

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<v Speaker 1>stepped closer and raised his voice.

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<v Speaker 12>Don't you see, Rancys, the gods of Egypt have no

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<v Speaker 12>power before the Lord. Look?

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<v Speaker 3>Look are they leave? This is but the first of

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<v Speaker 3>many signs. Let my people go, that they may serve

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<v Speaker 3>him your land greatly.

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<v Speaker 12>You may have your tricks, Moses.

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<v Speaker 2>But I will not be moved by them. Nancys, are

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<v Speaker 2>you blind?

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<v Speaker 3>Look look at what's happened.

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<v Speaker 12>Silence, traitor.

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<v Speaker 2>I shall add to the river with your blood.

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<v Speaker 1>Moses watched Pharaoh's gaze turn from anger to hatred. He

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<v Speaker 1>wondered why Rameses hadn't yet commanded his men to seize him,

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<v Speaker 1>But then he realized that Pharaoh must have feared what

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord would do if he harmed Moses. Pharaoh played

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<v Speaker 1>the part of the god, but he was beginning to

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<v Speaker 1>realize who he was dealing.

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<v Speaker 2>With wild.

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<v Speaker 3>Rub lands.

0:16:30.040 --> 0:16:35.600
<v Speaker 12>Your people will feel my heel dig further into their throats.

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<v Speaker 12>What my people lose, and these sources will be taken

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<v Speaker 12>from Goshian.

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<v Speaker 1>Pharaoh spun on his heel, his red and white crown

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<v Speaker 1>catching the sun as he stormed away from the river,

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<v Speaker 1>his priests and courtiers trailing behind him like a shadow.

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<v Speaker 1>The air was thick with tension, the stench of blood,

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<v Speaker 1>and the whispers of something far older than Egypt. The

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<v Speaker 1>people lingered, afraid to leave, afraid to stay, watching as

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<v Speaker 1>the Nile ran red with death. Moses and Aaron remained

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<v Speaker 1>by the riverbank, watching Pharaoh depart. They knew what was coming,

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<v Speaker 1>and they knew this was only the beginning. The Lord

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<v Speaker 1>had spoken, and his words were as inexorable as the

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<v Speaker 1>rising of the sun. Judgment had come to Egypt, and

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<v Speaker 1>its king would soon learn that no crown could shield

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<v Speaker 1>him from the wrath of the almighty.

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<v Speaker 9>The Nile. It wasn't just water flowing through Egypt. It

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<v Speaker 9>was the heart of the nation, the source of life itself.

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<v Speaker 9>Without it, Egypt's fields would dry up and its cities

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<v Speaker 9>would crumble. It was no mere river. It was a

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<v Speaker 9>god in Pharaoh's empire. The Egyptians believed the Nile's waters

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<v Speaker 9>were divine, a gift from their gods to sustain their empire,

0:18:05.600 --> 0:18:09.320
<v Speaker 9>their crops, their wealth. Pharaoh himself was seen as the

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<v Speaker 9>master of this river, ruling over it as a living

0:18:12.840 --> 0:18:18.240
<v Speaker 9>embodiment of Egypt's divinity. And what does God do? He

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<v Speaker 9>turns that river to blood. The message is sharp, decisive, God,

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<v Speaker 9>the creator of all life, strikes at the very symbol

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<v Speaker 9>of Egypt's supposed strength. The Nile, which had nurtured to civilization,

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<v Speaker 9>is now a river of death. Its waters, once worshiped

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<v Speaker 9>as divine, are now undrinkable, poisoned, cursed. But this is

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<v Speaker 9>no random act of destruction. In addition to forcing Pharaoh

0:18:49.240 --> 0:18:52.520
<v Speaker 9>to free the enslaved Chosen people, the plagues were really

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<v Speaker 9>an educational process for both Pharaoh and the ancient Egyptians.

0:18:59.359 --> 0:19:01.960
<v Speaker 9>Jewish trade teaches that one of the main purposes of

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<v Speaker 9>the plagues was to demonstrate to Pharaoh that the Nile

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<v Speaker 9>was not a god but just a river, and that

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<v Speaker 9>the God of the universe, who is in charge of everything,

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<v Speaker 9>could turn its life giving waters to blood.

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<v Speaker 3>But there's more.

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<v Speaker 9>Jewish tradition also suggests that after the previous signs Moses

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<v Speaker 9>had shown him. Pharaoh still believed that Moses was just

0:19:26.640 --> 0:19:30.480
<v Speaker 9>a really good magician. In fact, our tradition finds Pharaoh

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<v Speaker 9>saying sarcastically to Moses, what are you bringing straw to Ephraim?

0:19:36.960 --> 0:19:40.240
<v Speaker 9>In Bible times, Ephrian was a place known for its straw,

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<v Speaker 9>so Pharaoh was an effect scoffing, oh, you're bringing magic

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<v Speaker 9>to Egypt, the world's expert in magic. So it was

0:19:51.040 --> 0:19:55.920
<v Speaker 9>necessary for God to smite the Egyptian's Nile River God

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<v Speaker 9>and show them that only God is the ruler of

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<v Speaker 9>the universe, the same God who will take the chosen

0:20:05.240 --> 0:20:09.320
<v Speaker 9>people out of slavery in Egypt. As we've seen so

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<v Speaker 9>far in the Bible, blood isn't just a sign of death,

0:20:12.840 --> 0:20:17.000
<v Speaker 9>it's the essence of life itself. In Genesis, when Cain

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<v Speaker 9>killed Abel, God told him, quote, your brother's blood cries

0:20:21.760 --> 0:20:26.520
<v Speaker 9>out to me from the ground. End quote. Blood speaks,

0:20:27.280 --> 0:20:32.200
<v Speaker 9>it calls for justice, It demands to be heard. So

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<v Speaker 9>when the Nile turned to blood, a God spoke saying, quote,

0:20:37.600 --> 0:20:40.120
<v Speaker 9>I am the God of life, the God of creation,

0:20:40.480 --> 0:20:44.800
<v Speaker 9>and you, Pharaoh, are nothing but a man. The Nile.

0:20:44.920 --> 0:20:48.600
<v Speaker 9>Once Egypt's lifeline was now a witness to the God

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<v Speaker 9>of Israel, a testimony to his justice, his power, his

0:20:52.800 --> 0:20:57.320
<v Speaker 9>sovereignty over all of creation. And the message was clear,

0:20:58.200 --> 0:21:02.800
<v Speaker 9>God alone is the soul of life. This story shows

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<v Speaker 9>just how fragile the illusion of power really is. Pharaoh

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<v Speaker 9>thought that he was untouchable and that the gods of

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<v Speaker 9>Egypt would protect him. But the God of Israel isn't

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<v Speaker 9>just a name. He's not one god among many. He's

0:21:19.720 --> 0:21:24.200
<v Speaker 9>the creator of heaven and earth. Isn't that both terrifying

0:21:24.359 --> 0:21:28.520
<v Speaker 9>and humbling. No matter how strong or in control we

0:21:28.720 --> 0:21:31.960
<v Speaker 9>think we are, all it takes is one word from

0:21:32.040 --> 0:21:34.680
<v Speaker 9>the God of our ancestors, and everything can change in

0:21:34.720 --> 0:21:38.960
<v Speaker 9>an instant. What rivers in life? Do we trust in

0:21:39.119 --> 0:21:43.440
<v Speaker 9>too much? The story isn't just about Pharaoh, It's about

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<v Speaker 9>all of us. The plagues were an invitation to Pharaoh,

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<v Speaker 9>and they are an invitation to us. The choice is

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<v Speaker 9>always there, harden your heart or open your heart to God.

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<v Speaker 9>When we see things happening, we have to wake up

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<v Speaker 9>and remember that God's judgment isn't an end, Rather, it's

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<v Speaker 9>a beginning.

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<v Speaker 1>You can listen to the Chosen People with Isle Eckstein

0:22:11.920 --> 0:22:15.160
<v Speaker 1>ad free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey dot

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<v Speaker 1>Com app today. This Prey dog comproduction is only made

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<v Speaker 1>possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Gattina,

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<v Speaker 1>Max Bard, Zach Shellabager and Ben Gammon are the executive

0:22:28.160 --> 0:22:31.840
<v Speaker 1>producers of The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein. Edited by

0:22:31.920 --> 0:22:36.840
<v Speaker 1>Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by

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<v Speaker 1>Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold,

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<v Speaker 1>Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore.

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<v Speaker 1>Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and

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<v Speaker 1>Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin,

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<v Speaker 1>kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship

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<v Speaker 1>of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot

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