Joshua in the Bible - Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho

I love to read about Joshua in the bible. So many times as I read through his bible story, I wonder what it must have been like to have been him. Imagine, not only did Moses appoint him to take over for him, Jesus himself came to talk to him face-to-face!

The Sunday school lesson below tells of that one time when Jesus came to Joshua to tell him exactly how he was going to defeat Jericho!

Instead of having to come up with a complicated (and maybe wrong) plan as to how to overthrow the city, Jesus said, "Listen up, Joshua. This is what we are going to do!"

While we can't see Jesus face-to-face yet, he still talks to us. We need only to quiet our minds and listen.

Having a relationship with our heavenly father is more than attending church once a week and reading a bible verse every now and then. It's about talking to him daily and listening as he talks back.

It may not be the way we hear those here on earth, but it could be in nature all around us, in the verses we read each day, in the whispers we hear in our hearts, in the song that just played, through other people, or any number of other ways God speaks with us.

As you prepare for this Sunday school lesson, talk with God to ensure that he helps you deliver the bible story the way he wants you to.

Show your kids the Battle of Jericho Song to get them up an moving!
You can also find more FREE material about Joshua!

You are free to print the images on this page to use in your Sunday school class. The license for using these pictures are located at the bottom of this post.

Joshua in the Bible - Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho Bible Story

In this Sunday school lesson, we are going to do more than just tell a bible story about Joshua. We are going to engage our kids to think about what it was like all those years ago when the Israelites fought the battle of Jericho!

You will want to see how to get your kids thinking like Joshua and the Israelites by doing this Sunday school activity!

Whether you choose to use the link above to get the kids fully involved in the story or not, you can still get them moving by following along with the suggestions in parenthesis below.

To begin your story, have the kids sit in a circle in the middle of the room or pull their chairs into a circle. You can either stand or sit in the middle to tell your story or even just pull yourself up a chair to sit with them.

The Bible Story

The Israelites had been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years and it was finally time to enter into the land that God had promised to them.

Of course it hadn't been easy to get to this point and it wasn't going to be easy now.

They had to cross the Jordan River to get to the other side. Now, that may not seem like a big deal, right? They could just jump on a boat and sail to the other side or find a bridge to cross - wrong.

They didn't have any boats or any bridges to cross and the river was flooded at the time. Its waters were probably rushing fast and would have swept them away.

Another thing was that there wasn't just a few people. There were hundreds of thousands of people who had to cross the river. Of course, we can't forget about all the animals and the fact that they had to carry all of their belongings with them. So, how do you think they were going to get across?

Joshua told the people, "The priests carrying the ark will go first. Everyone will wait and follow along behind the priests.

Ask the kids, "Joshua said the priests were going first and everyone was going to follow. How do you think they are going to get across?"

A miracle happened that day. When the priests' feet who were carrying the ark touched the water's edge, the water stopped flowing and was held back. The people got to cross the Jordan River on dry ground!

As the people crossed, Joshua told 12 men to pick up one rock each from the river's bottom and carry it to the other side. When they reached the other side, Joshua had the men pile the rocks up. Then he said, "This pile of rocks will serve as a reminder to you all. When your children or grandchildren ask why this pile of rocks is here, you can tell them about this time. The time when we crossed the Jordan River on dry ground!"

The river didn't start flowing again until the priests came out of the river. You see, they had to stand in the middle and wait for all those people to cross before they could come out of the river bed themselves.

Now, Joshua and the Israelites were faced with another problem. They were to take over the city of Jericho, but the walls were so high and thick they couldn't get over them, or around them, or through them. How were they going to get into the city?

One evening, Joshua walked by himself trying to figure out a way to take over the city.

To his surprise, a man holding a sword appeared out of nowhere! Joshua asked, "Are you for us or against us?"

The man said, "I am the captain of the Lord's host." Does anyone know who the captain of the Lord's host is?

It was Jesus before he ever came to earth as a baby! Joshua was talking to Jesus himself!

Jesus told Joshua to take off his shoes because the ground where he was standing was holy and Joshua did as he was told. Then, Jesus said, here is how you are going to defeat Jericho."

(Tell everyone to stand up on the outside of the circle of chairs or a make believe circle of chairs.)

Jesus said, "On the first day, the people will walk around the city walls one time. They are not to speak at all. On the second day, they are to do the same. They are to do this every day for six days. On the seventh and final day, they are to walk around the city walls seven times. On the last time, the priests will blow their horns loud. When the people hear the horns, they are to SHOUT very loud!"

Jesus went on to tell Joshua not to worry or be afraid. Jesus was going to go before Joshua and he was going to be right with him through the whole thing. Joshua had nothing to fear!

(Have the kids walk around the chairs seven times without speaking. This will be hard. Stress how it must have been for all those people to walk around the great city of Jericho seven times without talking. On the last time, have the children shout!)

Joshua followed Jesus orders and on the seventh day when they walked around the city walls of Jericho seven times, the people shouted when they heard the priests blow their horns and the walls of Jericho came tumbling down!

The people of Israel overtook the city.

Photos of Joshua courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing.
 

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Moses in Egypt Word Search Puzzle - Sunday School Activities

Sunday School Activities
Photo courtesy of Rjruiziii

Many people in the bible have one story, but Moses has many. From his birth to his death, God allows us to follow the life of Moses.

His life was filled with good times and bad, but through it all God never left his side.

Thankfully, we have that same assurance.

God will never leave our side. Whether we are going through good times or bad, we can rest assured God is right there with us.

At the bottom of the page, I've added a video by Colton Dixon that affirms just what I'm saying. The lyrics are listed below the video. Just like the 'Footprints in the Sand' where God carries us at some times of our life, Colton sings about how God was never gone...

 

Free Word Search Puzzle - Moses in Egypt

 

 

 

 

Click to get FREE Moses Sunday school lessons

 

Colton Dixon - Never Gone Video

 

 

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Let My People Go - Moses and Pharaoh - Sunday School Lesson

While Moses didn't feel he was the right man for the job, God knew he was the perfect man for it! There are many times we are just like Moses and feel we just can't do what God needs us to do.

Whether it is go on a mission trip, spend a few more hours at church, lead VBS, visit the kids in your

Sunday school classroom outside of church or any number of things God needs us for, we need to
step up to the plate or risk missing out on blessings from God.

I know how your feeling.

More than likely, each and every one of you have been there at one time or another. Now, don't think I'm asking you to bite off more than you can chew. All I am asking is that you pray and listen for God's instructions.

When He gives you your next assignment, stand up and say, "Here I am!" just as Moses did when God spoke to him out of the burning bush.

Let My People Go - Sunday School Lesson

While the above section was intended for the Sunday school teacher, it can be used as the beginning of your lesson too.

Kids need to learn from a young age that when God needs them, they should be ready!

When God gave Moses the task of going to the Pharaoh over all of Egypt, Moses wasn't sure he was ready. In fact, he didn't want to go at all.

Instead, he told the Lord, "Lord, I don't speak very well. I am slow of speech."

Maybe Moses couldn't speak very well. Maybe he stuttered. What Moses should have realized was the God had made his mouth, his voice and his tongue. God needed Moses to tell the Pharaoh to let his people go and God would be with him. He could do it.

Why wouldn't Pharaoh let the Israelite people go?

You see, Pharaoh was afraid the Israelite people were going to grow so strong that they would one day take over Egypt. So, he made them his slaves. He wanted to keep them as slaves. He didn't want to let them go.

When Moses didn't want to go to Egypt to tell Pharaoh to let God's people go, God was angry.

God said, "Moses you have a brother named Aaron. He speaks very well. Take him with you. Don't worry Moses. I will teach you what to do and what to say. I will be with you through it all."

Moses and Aaron finally went to Pharaoh and although the Pharaoh didn't let the Israelite people go at first, God showed the Pharaoh who was in charge and eventually, he did let them go.

Bible Verse for this Lesson

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV)

 

¹⁸ In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

If you have smaller kids and the verse is too long, you can break it down and just help them learn either...

In every thing give thanks:

 

or,

 

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus

What Can We Learn?

God never asks us to do something we are not capable of. Instead, he uses us in ways we never knew existed. During this lesson, stress to your class that each one of them have something special God has given them and whether they know what it is or not, God does knows and that's all that matters.

When God is with us, we shouldn't be scared.

It can be hard to step outside our comfort zone, but sometimes that's just what it takes - stepping out. I've added a video below. Listen to the song lyrics. It's all about stepping out even when your heart is telling you to give up.

If you are able, maybe you can show this video to your class.

Standing in front of the church, praying out loud, telling your friends about Jesus, and standing up for what you believe are all things that can make us scared at times. But, just as God was with Moses, he will be with you too.

You can read more about Moses in the book of Exodus.


 

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Moses in the River - Sunday School Lessons

In this free bible story of Moses in the River, you'll find all you need to teach a full Sunday school lesson. This lesson is perfect for all ages up to about 10 years of age. Of course, you can add more details and facts to make it great for pre-teens and teens, as well.

Remember, even small children as young as one or two years old love hearing bible stories along with playing games. For this lesson, we've added a link to a fun game (bottom of the page).

As an added bonus: You can print off the bible story picture below to use as a visual.

 

Bible Verse for This Lesson

Proverbs 3:5 KJV

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;

Moses in the River Sunday School Lesson

Our bible story today comes from the book of Exodus chapter 2.

In Egypt, there was a not-so-nice Pharaoh who was afraid of the people of Israel. He thought that the more Israelites there were, the easier it would be for them to take over his kingdom.

To make himself more safe, he made the Israelite people into slaves. But, that wasn't all.

He also decided that there were too many Israelites. So, he made a very bad cruel law. This law said that when a baby boy was born to an Israelite family, the baby was to be thrown into the river and drown.

How horrible!

During this time, there was a mommy who had a baby boy. She didn't want the Pharaoh to take him, so she decided to hide him secretly. She hid him in their house for three months.

When she could no longer hide him, she made him a basket out of reeds and sealed it with a special tar to help the basket float.

River Reeds
Photo courtesy of Philip Halling, Wikimedia

Then, she put the little baby boy inside the basket and took it to the river (Nile River).

There in the tall reeds on the riverbank she set the basket to float. The little baby's sister stayed nearby to watch over him and the basket. Her name was Miriam.

 We don't know how long the baby was safe in the basket in the river. But, we do know that his sister stayed watch over him.

One day, the Pharaoh's daughter came down to the river to take a bath. Can you imagine how Miriam must have felt. Here she was watching over her small baby brother when the mean Pharaoh's daughter came near?

Or maybe, she was hoping his daughter would find her brother? Perhaps she was a nice kind princess and the baby's mother, Jochebed, hoped she would love her baby enough to save it?

What Happened to the Baby?

So, what do you think happened to the little baby in the basket floating in the river?

When the princess saw the basket, she sent one of her servant's to get it. When she opened it and found the little baby, she knew right away it must be an Israelite baby. The bible tells us that the little baby was crying when she found it.

Instead of staying hid, Miriam stepped out to talk to the princess.

She asked, "Do you want me to find someone to take care of the baby for you?"

Secretly, Miriam was going to get her very own mother.

You can see Miriam hiding
in the reeds if you look closely.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia.

When the princess agreed, Miriam ran to find her mother, Jochebed. When Jochebed came to the princess, the princess said, "Take the baby with you and take care of him."

Think about how relieved his mother and sister must have been. Even though, when the baby grows older, he will go and live with the princess, they got to spend the next few years with him and made sure he was safe.

Once the little boy grew old enough, Jochebed took him to live with the princess where he grew up.

Does anyone know what the princess named this little baby?

 

Wait for answers.

She named him Moses because the name Moses means 'to draw out' and that's what she did - drew him out of the water.

 

Watch the Story of Moses

This is the Disney movie of the life of Moses which won an Academy Award!

 

If you have time, you can show this whole movie to your Sunday school class or even break it down into two weeks, if needed.

 

 



Play the Find Baby Moses Game

For some extra fun on Sunday morning, check out this FREE Sunday school game we call - Finding Baby Moses!

It's similar to hide-and-seek and easy or hard enough for all ages!

Find More FREE Bible Stories and Sunday School Lesson!!!!

 

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Finding Baby Moses - FREE Sunday School Game

The bible story of Moses is one that shows the courage, determination and love of one mother to save her son. While she chose to break the law and not turn him over to the Pharaoh's cruel law, she ultimately not only saved her own son, but the entire Israelite nation!

God was with Jochebed as she made the decision to hide him in a basket in the Nile River. Although she didn't know that her little baby boy would grow up to part the Red Sea and lead the Israelites to the Promised Land, she did know she loved him and took a chance to save his life.

If only we would take a chance and step out for God!

How would our life change if we only took that first step to trusting God whole heartedly!

Before explaining the game, take time to listen to the remarkable song by Brit Nicole to get you into the chance-taking mood.

You can also get the FREE bible story of Moses to teach your kids.
 

Finding Baby Moses Sunday School Game

The only thing you'll need to play this game is a paper picture of a basket and some tape.

You can either print out the picture of Moses' basket (above) or draw one yourself. It doesn't have to look pretty. Kids don't mind.

I drew a picture of a basket about 4 inches long and 3 inches tall. I colored a blue blanket on top and cut it out.

I simply told the kids what it was and they accepted the poor looking basket as what it was :)

To play the game:

Have the kids turn to one wall or put their head down on a table and close or hide their eyes. Use a piece of tape on the paper basket to hide the paper basket under chairs or tables, along walls, behind curtains, or anywhere else you can find.

Once hidden, let kids find baby Moses.

Whoever finds the basket gets to hide it next.

If hidden too hard, you can give clues or play 'hot' or 'cold' until they find it. You'll be surprised at how much they love this game - I was.

Have fun and enjoy teaching about Moses!


Picture of basket above is courtesy of Open Clip Art.
 

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Book of Deuteronomy | Sunday School Coloring Pages

The book of Deuteronomy continues with the children of Israel's journey to the promised land of Canaan. At the end of this book, Moses finally finishes what he started and the journey to the promised land has come to an end. In the last and final chapter of the book of Deuteronomy, Moses dies and the Lord God himself buried Moses.

Knowing the Lord buried Moses is a feeling that is hard to explain. Close your eyes and try to imagine that for a minute...

The bible tells us in chapter 34:6 KJV that no man to this day knows where Moses is buried. That means that no one will know no matter how hard they look because God doesn't want him to be found.

Sunday school coloring pages can not only be fun for the kids to enjoy, but can also be a teaching tool. This coloring page for example can be used to teach about the above story of Moses. We shouldn't go looking for things we aren't meant to find. Instead, we should only look toward the cross and to finding Jesus for ourselves and teaching others so they may find Jesus too.

Sunday School Coloring Page

(double-click to print)

 

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Book of Numbers | Sunday School Coloring Pages

When you're Sunday school class is studying the books of the bible, print out the FREE books of the bible Sunday school coloring pages on our site. We have lots of coloring pages for you to use and are adding more each week, so check back often. Adding your e-mail address to the right, will ensure you don't miss any of the FREE stuff we offer.

Books of the Bible Sunday School Coloring Pages

Below is the book of Numbers coloring page. Just to give you a bit of back ground on the book of Numbers, I've added a little bit about the bible story.

The children of Israel moved from place to place living in tents for 40 long years. What they didn't know when they started their journey to the promised land was that it was only a few short days walk from where they were to where they were going.

Instead, they wandered around the wilderness. The sad part was that none of the people who left Egypt made it into Canaan. Only their children was allowed to cross over into the promised land. Moses wasn't even one of them.

The Book of Numbers Coloring Page

(Double-Click to Print)

 

The words in the circle read 'The Children of Israel wandered in the wilderness 40 years.'

 

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Moses - Sunday School Lessons

Moses Sunday School Lesson
Burning Bush
Photo: pixydust8605 flickr

The bible story of Moses would take many hours to tell from start to finish, so instead of beginning when Moses was a baby and put into the basket (that's another Sunday school lesson), we're going to focus on the type of man he was, the burning bush, and how God has a plan for us just like he did Moses.

Moses

Who was Moses? Moses was a man who began his life running from death. You see, when Moses was born, it was a time when all the baby boys in the land were not supposed to be left alive. It was a horrible time, yet God saved Moses through the Pharaoh's daughter who raised him as her own.

As years passed, Moses became a man who didn't believe he could do the things God needed him to do.

Ask the kids, "Do you think you could do the things God needs you to do?"

Ask other questions to prompt the children to think like:

• Do you think you could move away from your family if God ask you to?
• Do you think you could live in a different country if God asked?
• Could you leave everything behind?
• Would you become a preacher who preaches on TV or pastor a small church?
• Could you give all your money away to live in a tent?
• Could you study your bible to teach Sunday school?
• What about just telling your best friend about God?
• Could you write a book of bible stories?

Moses was a man who didn't think he was capable of doing anything. He watched his father-in-law's flock. He didn't have a lot of money. He was not famous. He didn't talk well. What could he do for God?

The Burning Bush

One day, when Moses was watching the flock, he came to a mountain. Suddenly, the angel of the Lord (Jesus before he came to earth) appeared to Moses in a burning bush. Moses looked and saw the burning bush, but the bush was not burning away.

Ask the kids, "Have you ever been camping?"

When you put wood on the fire, did it burn away or did the wood stay the same? Of course, the wood burned away. That is why it was a miraculous event that happened when the bush was blazing flames, but not turning to ashes.

As the angel of the Lord spoke to Moses, he told Moses to take off his shoes because he was on holy ground. Moses realizing who was talking to him out of the bush was afraid to look at it. Long ago, people believed that if you saw God face-to-face, you would surely die.

But, the Lord had a job for Moses.

Moses was to lead his people, the Israelites, out of slavery. The were being treated terribly and God needed Moses to go to the Pharaoh, and tell him to let his people go.

The trouble was that Moses didn't believe he could do it. He didn't think he was the right man for the job. He said, "I do not speak very well. I talk slowly." Even though God told Moses he would be with him during this time, Moses still didn't think he was worthy of doing this job for God.

God was upset with Moses and told him to take his brother, Aaron, with him when he went to Pharaoh.

Moses did go and he did lead God's people out of slavery.

Moses Flannel Board Figures - Pre-Cut

What Can We Learn?

What can we learn from this Sunday school lesson about Moses? We can learn that no matter how well we speak, how well we read, whether we are super smart, whether we are rich, where we live, what kind of clothes we have, if we are scared, or if we don't believe in ourselves, that when God goes with us we can do anything. God has a plan for each of us.

God doesn't ask us to do anything we can't do.

He can use each one of us. We only need to listen for him and to do what he needs us to do. We may not hear the words of God coming out of a burning bush the way Moses did, but we can hear the voice inside us that helps guide us to do what we are supposed to do.

Bible Verses for this Sunday School Lesson

Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV

 

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

⁶ In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

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10 Commandments - Sunday School Lessons Part One

Just standing in front of your Sunday School class talking about the 10 Commandments may be fine for older kids or adults, but for younger kids, you'll have to be a bit more creative.

Sunday School Lessons - 10 Commandments
Picture Courtesy of
Lance Cpl. Lauren Kurkimilis
Wikimedia Commons

For this Sunday School lesson, we're going to be more interactive with the kids to get them moving and learning at the same time.

 

Before class starts, write the numbers 1-10 on several sheets of paper. The paper only needs to be big enough for the kids to see well - about 3" x 3" or so works great. You'll also need tape to hang them on the wall or you can just lay them down on seats or the floor. You'll see what I mean in a minute. We've played this both ways and both way are fun and the kids learn fast!

If you want to get straight to this part of the Sunday School lesson, skip down the page to the heading "Interactive Part of the Sunday School Lesson".

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10 Commandments Sunday School Lessons

For smaller kids, you may want to break this lesson about the 10 Commandments into two lessons as it can be hard for them to learn all ten at the same time. The whole lesson follows:

You may want to begin the class by taking prayer requests. Often kids will ask prayer for other kids at school. Sometimes you may be able to use those prayer requests as examples. For instance, in our Sunday School class, kids will ask prayer for a child at school who often lies or takes other kids pencils or erasers.

Both are good examples of two commandments (lying and stealing).

If no child brings these things up, you can begin with asking the questions, "Have you ever told a lie?" or "Have you ever took something that didn't belong to you?" or "Do you know someone who does these things?"

Get the 10 Commandments
Sunday Sunday School Coloring Pages

Lesson:

Did you know that God has given us 10 Commandments we are to live by? A commandment is a rule that God expects us to follow.

Do you know any of the 10 Commandments? Wait for kids to answer, then continue.

How many of you know who Moses was? He was the baby that his mother put inside the basket in the river to keep him safe. (If you've not told the story of Moses yet, just skip this part). When Moses grew up, God gave him a special job to do. His job was to lead God's people to a new land. Along the way, God gave Moses the 10 Commandments on top of a mountain. The mountain was called Mount Sinai.

We can find the 10 Commandments in the bible in the book of Exodus chapter 20. Let's turn there now. Wait for kids to turn to this chapter in their bibles. If children are too little, just turn to the page in your bible and let the kids see.

You can either read the verses word for word, or follow along with the interactive lesson below.

 

Interactive Part of the Sunday School Lesson

Remember the part above where you were to write down the numbers 1-10 on a piece of paper and hang them on the wall or lay them on the floor? This is where they come into the story.

** Have the kids stand under the number one while you read the first commandment:

Commandment Number One:

Thou shalt have no other God's before me.

This means that there is only one God - the one true God. We are to put him first above anything else.

** Let the kids move under the number two.

Commandment Number Two:



Get the 10 Commandments
Word Search Puzzle

Worship God only.

This means you are not to make an idol out of wood, god, metal, or anything else and bow down to it. God is the only God who is real. No idol that is made by a person can help you can it? The walls are made of wood, can it answer your prayers? No. Someone made earrings and necklaces out of gold. Can they help you? Of course not!  

** Let the kids move to stand under the number three.

Commandment Number Three:

Do not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain (or, for smaller kids - Keep the Lord's name special).

This means we are only to use the name of the Lord God or Jesus Christ in a nice way. We can use it to tell people about him, or we can read about him, or we can talk to him, but we are NEVER EVER suppose to use his name carelessly.

For example, we are not to say, "Oh my, G _ _." When we use God's name in this manner, we are misusing it and breaking commandment number three.


** Have the kids move to stand under the number four.

Commandment Number Four:

Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy (or, for smaller kids - Keep the Lord's day special).

The bible tells us that we are to rest on the sabbath day. The sabbath day is the Lord's day, the day we take time to worship God, normally Sunday.

>>>Click here to read the second part of this Sunday School Lesson >>>

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Exodus Coloring Page - Sunday School Coloring Pages

We've started our books of the bible Sunday School coloring pages and we've just added our Exodus coloring page which is great for learning the second book of the bible. In the book of Exodus, many famous people and things from the bible can be found: the Ten Commandments, Moses, Aaron, manna, the Ark of the Covenant, and so much more.

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Free Exodus Coloring Page

Here is your FREE Sunday School coloring page. With the big letters and large pictures, this coloring page makes a great puzzle. After the kids color the page, have them glue it to a piece of construction paper, then cut it up into medium size pieces.

Before you print...be sure to Like this Inspirational Facebook page to get you motivated each day!

May God bless you.

Exodus Sunday School Coloring Page

Image Credit: Gadfly from VECTOR.ME (by papapishu)

Click here to see other Sunday School coloring pages.

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