AME Zion Universal Reading May 30th 2021

First Portion

Numbers Chapter 8

1The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:2Speak to Aaron and say to him: "When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall cast their light toward the face of the menorah."3Aaron did so; he lit the lamps toward the face of the menorah, as the Lord had commanded Moses.4This was the form of the menorah: hammered work of gold, from its base to its flower it was hammered work; according to the form that the Lord had shown Moses, so did he construct the menorah.5The Lord spoke to Moses saying:6Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and cleanse them.7This is what you shall do to them so as to cleanse them: sprinkle them with cleansing water and pass a razor over all their flesh; then they shall wash their garments and cleanse themselves.8Then they shall take a young bull with its meal offering of fine flour mingled with oil. And you shall take a second young bull as a sin offering.9You shall bring the Levites in front of the Tent of Meeting, and you shall gather the entire congregation of the children of Israel.10You shall bring the Levites before the Lord, and the children of Israel shall lay their hands upon the Levites.11Then Aaron shall lift up the Levites as a waving before the Lord on behalf of the children of Israel, that they may serve in the Lord's service.12The Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and make one as a sin offering and one as a burnt offering to the Lord, to atone for the Levites.13You shall present the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and lift them as a waving before the Lord.14Thus shall you set apart the Levites from the midst of the children of Israel, and the Levites shall become Mine.

Sunday

Jonah 3:1–10 (NLT): Jonah Goes to Nineveh

Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.”

3 This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. 4 On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!” 5 The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow.

6 When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes. 7 Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city:

“No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all. 8 People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. 9 Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.”

10 When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.

Second Portion

Numbers Chapter 8

15Following this, the Levites shall come to serve in the Tent of Meeting. You shall cleanse them and lift them as a waving.16For they are wholly given over to Me from among the children of Israel; instead of those that open the womb all the firstborn of Israel I have taken them for Myself.17For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are Mine whether man or beast since the day I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt; I have sanctified them for Myself.18And I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the children of Israel.19I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the children of Israel, to perform the service for the children of Israel in the Tent of Meeting and to atone on behalf of the children of Israel, so that the children of Israel will not be inflicted with plague when they approach the Sanctuary.20So Moses, Aaron, and the entire congregation of Israel did [this] to the Levites; the children of Israel did [in accordance with] all that the Lord had instructed Moses regarding the Levites.21The Levites cleansed themselves and washed their clothes. Then Aaron lifted them as a waving before the Lord, and Aaron atoned for them to cleanse them.22After that, the Levites came to perform the service in the Tent of Meeting before Aaron and before his sons; they did to them just as the Lord had commanded Moses regarding the Levites.23The Lord spoke to Moses saying:24This is [the rule] concerning the Levites: From the age of twenty five years and upwards, he shall enter the service to work in the Tent of Meeting.25From the age of fifty he shall retire from the work legion, and do no more work.26He shall minister with his brethren in the Tent of Meeting to keep the charge, but he shall not perform the service; thus shall you do for the Levites regarding their charge.

Monday

Matthew 12:38–42 (NLT): The Sign of Jonah

38 One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority.”

39 But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.

41 “The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent. 42 The queen of Sheba will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen.

Third Portion

Numbers Chapter 9

1The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai Desert, in the second year of their exodus from the land of Egypt, in the first month, saying:2The children of Israel shall make the Passover sacrifice in its appointed time.3On the afternoon of the fourteenth of this month, you shall make it in its appointed time; in accordance with all its statutes and all its ordinances you shall make it.4Moses spoke to the children of Israel [instructing them] to make the Passover sacrifice.5So they made the Passover sacrifice in the first month, on the afternoon of the fourteenth day of the month in the Sinai Desert; according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel do.6There were men who were ritually unclean [because of contact with] a dead person, and therefore could not make the Passover sacrifice on that day. So they approached Moses and Aaron on that day.7Those men said to him, "We are ritually unclean [because of contact] with a dead person; [but] why should we be excluded so as not to bring the offering of the Lord in its appointed time, with all the children of Israel?8Moses said to them, "Wait, and I will hear what the Lord instructs concerning you."9The Lord spoke to Moses saying:10Speak to the children of Israel saying, Any person who becomes unclean from [contact with] the dead, or is on a distant journey, whether among you or in future generations, he shall make a Passover sacrifice for the Lord.11In the second month, on the fourteenth day, in the afternoon, they shall make it; they shall eat it with unleavened cakes and bitter herbs.12They shall not leave over anything from it until the next morning, and they shall not break any of its bones. They shall make it in accordance with all the statutes connected with the Passover sacrifice.13But the man who was ritually clean and was not on a journey, yet refrained from making the Passover sacrifice, his soul shall be cut off from his people, for he did not bring the offering of the Lord in its appointed time; that person shall bear his sin.14If a proselyte dwells with you, and he makes a Passover sacrifice to the Lord, according to the statutes of the Passover sacrifice and its ordinances he shall make it. One statute shall apply to you, to the proselyte and to the native-born citizen.

Tuesday

Luke 11:29–32 (NLT): The Sign of Jonah

29 As the crowd pressed in on Jesus, he said, “This evil generation keeps asking me to show them a miraculous sign. But the only sign I will give them is the sign of Jonah. 30 What happened to him was a sign to the people of Nineveh that God had sent him. What happens to the Son of Man will be a sign to these people that he was sent by God.

31 “The queen of Sheba will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen. 32 The people of Nineveh will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent.

Fourth Portion

Numbers Chapter 9

15On the day the Mishkan was erected, the cloud covered the Mishkan, which was a tent for the Testimony, and at evening, there was over the Mishkan like an appearance of fire, [which remained] until morning.16So it was always, the cloud covered it and there was an appearance of fire at night.17and according to the cloud's departure from over the Tent, and afterwards, the children of Israel would travel, and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would encamp.18At the bidding of the Lord, the children of Israel traveled, and at the bidding of the Lord, they encamped. As long as the cloud hovered above the Mishkan, they encamped.19When the cloud lingered over the Mishkan for many days, the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord and did not travel.20Sometimes, the cloud remained for several days above the Mishkan; at the Lord's bidding they encamped and at the Lord's bidding they traveled.21Sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning, and when the cloud departed in the morning, they traveled. Or, the cloud remained for a day and a night, and when the cloud departed, they traveled.22Whether it was for two days, a month or a year, that the cloud lingered to hover over the Mishkan, the children of Israel would encamp and not travel, and when it departed, they traveled.23At the Lord's bidding they would encamp, and at the Lord's bidding they would travel; they kept the charge of the Lord by the word of the Lord through Moses.

Numbers Chapter 10

1The Lord spoke to Moses saying:2Make yourself two silver trumpets; you shall make them [from a] beaten [form]; they shall be used by you to summon the congregation and to announce the departure of the camps.3When they blow on them, the entire congregation shall assemble to you, at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.4If they blow one of them, the princes, the leaders of Israel's thousands, shall convene to you.5When you blow a teruah [a series of short blasts, the camps which are encamped to the east shall travel.6When you blow a second teruah, the camps encamped to the south shall travel; they shall blow a teruah for traveling.7But when assembling the congregation, you shall blow a tekiah [long blast] but not a teruah.8The descendants of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; this shall be an eternal statute for your generations.9If you go to war in your land against an adversary that oppresses you, you shall blow a teruah with the trumpets and be remembered before the Lord your God, and thus be saved from your enemies.10On the days of your rejoicing, on your festivals and on your new-moon celebrations, you shall blow on the trumpets for your ascent-offerings and your peace sacrifices, and it shall be a remembrance before your God; I am the Lord your God.

Wednesday

Jonah 1:1–12 (NLT): Jonah Runs from the Lord

The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.”

3 But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish.

4 But the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart. 5 Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship.

But all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold. 6 So the captain went down after him. “How can you sleep at a time like this?” he shouted. “Get up and pray to your god! Maybe he will pay attention to us and spare our lives.”

7 Then the crew cast lots to see which of them had offended the gods and caused the terrible storm. When they did this, the lots identified Jonah as the culprit. 8 “Why has this awful storm come down on us?” they demanded. “Who are you? What is your line of work? What country are you from? What is your nationality?”

9 Jonah answered, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.”

10 The sailors were terrified when they heard this, for he had already told them he was running away from the Lord. “Oh, why did you do it?” they groaned. 11 And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, “What should we do to you to stop this storm?”

12 “Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault.”

Fifth Portion

Numbers Chapter 10

11On the twentieth of the second month in the second year, the cloud rose up from over the Tabernacle of the Testimony.12The children of Israel traveled on their journeys from the Sinai desert, and the cloud settled in the desert of Paran.13This was the first journey at God's bidding through Moses.14The banner of the camp of Judah's children traveled first according to their legions. Heading the legion was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.15Heading the legion of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar.16Heading the legion of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.17The Tabernacle was dismantled, and the sons of Gershon set out, [together] with the sons of Merari who carried the Tabernacle.18Then the banner of the camp of Reuben set out according to their legions. Heading its legion was Elitzur the son of Shdeur.19Heading the legion of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.20Heading the legion of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel.21The Kohathithes, who carried the holy [equipment] set out, and they had erected the Tabernacle before they had arrived.22Then the banner of the camp of Ephraim set out, according to its legions. Heading its legion was Elishama the son of Amihud.23Heading the legion of the tribe of the children of Menasseh was Gamliel the son of Pedahzur.24Heading the legion of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gidoni.25Then the banner of the camp of Dan set out, the collector for all the other camps, according to its legions. Heading its legion was Achiezer the son of Amishaddai.26Heading the legion of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ocran.27Heading the legion of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enon.28These are the travels of the children of Israel according to their legions, and then they traveled.29Then Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses's father-in-law, We are traveling to the place about which the Lord said, I will give it to you. Come with us and we will be good to you, for the Lord has spoken of good fortune for Israel.30He said to him, I won't go, for I will go to my land and my birthplace.31He said, Please don't leave us, for because you are familiar with our encampments in the desert and you will be our guide.32And if you go with us, then we will bestow on you the good which God grants us.33They traveled a distance of three days from the mountain of the Lord, and the Ark of the Lord's covenant traveled three days ahead of them to seek for them a place to settle.34The cloud of the Lord was above them by day, when they traveled from the camp.

Thursday

Jonah 1:13–16 (NLT):

13 Instead, the sailors rowed even harder to get the ship to the land. But the stormy sea was too violent for them, and they couldn’t make it. 14 Then they cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. “O Lord,” they pleaded, “don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.”

15 Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! 16 The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.

Sixth Portion

Numbers Chapter 10

35So it was, whenever the ark set out, Moses would say, Arise, O Lord, may Your enemies be scattered and may those who hate You flee from You.36And when it came to rest he would say, Repose O Lord, among the myriads of thousands of Israel.

Numbers Chapter 11

1The people were looking to complain, and it was evil in the ears of the Lord. The Lord heard and His anger flared, and a fire from the Lord burned among them, consuming the extremes of the camp.2The people cried out to Moses; Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down.3He named that place Tab'erah, for the fire of the Lord had burned among them there.4But the multitude among them began to have strong cravings. Then even the children of Israel once again began to cry, and they said, "Who will feed us meat?5We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt free of charge, the cucumbers, the watermelons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.6But now, our bodies are dried out, for there is nothing at all; we have nothing but manna to look at."7Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance was like the appearance of crystal.8The people walked about and gathered it. Then they ground it in a mill or crushed it in a mortar, cooked it in a pot and made it into cakes. It had a taste like the taste of oil cake.9When the dew descended on the camp at night, the manna would descend upon it.10Moses heard the people weeping with their families,each one at the entrance to his tent. The Lord became very angry, and Moses considered it evil.11Moses said to the Lord, "Why have You treated Your servant so badly? Why have I not found favor in Your eyes that You place the burden of this entire people upon me?12Did I conceive this entire people? Did I give birth to them, that You say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom as the nurse carries the suckling,' to the Land You promised their forefathers?13Where can I get meat to give all these people? For they are crying on me, saying, 'Give us meat to eat.'14Alone I cannot carry this entire people for it is too hard for me.15If this is the way You treat me, please kill me if I have found favor in Your eyes, so that I not see my misfortune."16Then the Lord said to Moses, "Assemble for Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the people's elders and officers, and you shall take them to the Tent of Meeting, and they shall stand there with You.17I will come down and speak with you there, and I will increase the spirit that is upon you and bestow it upon them. Then they will bear the burden of the people with you so that you need not bear it alone.18And to the people, you shall say, 'Prepare yourselves for tomorrow and you shall eat meat, because you have cried in the ears of the Lord saying, "Who will feed us meat, for we had it better in Egypt." [Therefore,] the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat.19You shall eat it not one day, not two days, not five days, not ten days, and not twenty days.20But even for a full month until it comes out your nose and nauseates you. Because you have despised the Lord Who is among you, and you cried before Him, saying, "Why did we ever leave Egypt?"'"21Moses said, "Six hundred thousand people on foot are the people in whose midst I am, and You say, 'I will give them meat, and they will eat it for a full month'?22If sheep and cattle were slaughtered for them, would it suffice for them? If all the fish of the sea were gathered for them, would it suffice for them?"23Then the Lord said to Moses, "Is My power limited? Now you will see if My word comes true for you or not!"24Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said, and he assembled seventy men of the elders of the people, and stood them around the Tent.25The Lord descended in a cloud and spoke to him, and He increased some of the spirit that was on him and bestowed it on the seventy elders. And when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, but they did not continue.26Now two men remained in the camp; the name of one was Eldad and the name of the second was Medad, and the spirit rested upon them. They were among those written, but they did not go out to the tent, but prophesied in the camp.27The lad ran and told Moses, saying, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!"28Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' servant from his youth, answered and said, Moses, my master, imprison them!"29Moses said to him, "Are you zealous for my sake? If only all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would bestow His spirit upon them!"

Friday

Jonah 4:1–4 (NLT): Jonah’s Anger at the Lord’s Mercy

This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. 2 So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. 3 Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”

4 The Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”

Seventh Portion

Numbers Chapter 11

30Then Moses entered the camp; he and the elders of Israel.31A wind went forth from the Lord and swept quails from the sea and spread them over the camp about one day's journey this way and one day's journey that way, around the camp, about two cubits above the ground.32The people rose up all that day and all night and the next day and gathered the quails. [Even] the one who gathered the least collected ten heaps. They spread them around the camp in piles.33The meat was still between their teeth; it was not yet finished, and the anger of the Lord flared against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very mighty blow.34He named that place Kivroth Hata'avah [Graves of Craving], for there they buried the people who craved.35From Kivroth Hata'avah the people traveled to Hazeroth, and they stayed in Hazeroth.

Numbers Chapter 12

1Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses regarding the Cushite woman he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman.2They said, "Has the Lord spoken only to Moses? Hasn't He spoken to us too?" And the Lord heard.3Now this man Moses was exceedingly humble, more so than any person on the face of the earth.4The Lord suddenly said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, "Go out, all three of you, to the Tent of Meeting!" And all three went out.5The Lord descended in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the Tent. He called to Aaron and Miriam, and they both went out.6He said, "Please listen to My words. If there be prophets among you, [I] the Lord will make Myself known to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream.7Not so is My servant Moses; he is faithful throughout My house.8With him I speak mouth to mouth; in a vision and not in riddles, and he beholds the image of the Lord. So why were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses ?9The wrath of the Lord flared against them and He left.10The cloud departed from above the Tent, and behold, Miriam was afflicted with tzara'ath, [as white] as snow. Then Aaron turned to Miriam and behold, she was afflicted with tzara'ath.11Aaron said to Moses, "Please, master, do not put sin upon us for acting foolishly and for sinning.12Let her not be like the dead, which comes out of his mother's womb with half his flesh consumed!"13Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, "I beseech you, God, please heal her."14The Lord replied to Moses, "If her father were to spit in her face, would she not be humiliated for seven days? She shall be confined for seven days outside the camp, and afterwards she may enter.15So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not travel until Miriam had entered.16Then the people departed from Hazeroth, and they camped in the desert of Paran.

Saturday

Jonah 4:6–11 (NLT):

6 And the Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.

7 But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away. 8 And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. “Death is certainly better than living like this!” he exclaimed.

9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?”

“Yes,” Jonah retorted, “even angry enough to die!”

10 Then the Lord said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. 11 But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”

Maftir Portion

Numbers Chapter 12

14The Lord replied to Moses, "If her father were to spit in her face, would she not be humiliated for seven days? She shall be confined for seven days outside the camp, and afterwards she may enter.15So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not travel until Miriam had entered.16Then the people departed from Hazeroth, and they camped in the desert of Paran.

Haftarah

Zechariah Chapter 2

14Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for, behold! I will come and dwell in your midst, says the Lord.15And many nations shall join the Lord on that day, and they shall be My people; and I will dwell in your midst and you shall know that the Lord of Hosts sent me to you.16And the Lord shall inherit Judah as His share on the Holy Land, and He shall again choose Jerusalem.17Silence all flesh from before the Lord, for He is aroused out of His holy habitation.

Zechariah Chapter 3

1And He showed me Joshua, the High Priest, standing before the angel of the Lord. And Satan was standing on his right, to accuse him.2And the Lord said to Satan: The Lord shall rebuke you, O Satan; and the Lord shall rebuke you, He who chose Jerusalem. Is this one not a brand plucked from fire?3Now Joshua was wearing filthy garments and standing before the angel.4And he [the angel] raised his voice and said to those standing before him, saying, "Take the filthy garments off him." And he said to him, "See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I have clad you with clean garments."5And I said, "Let them put a pure miter on his head," and they put the pure miter on his head. And they had clothed him with garments while the angel of the Lord was standing.6And the angel of the Lord warned Joshua, saying,7So said the Lord of Hosts: If you walk in My ways, and if you keep My charge, you, too, shall judge My house, and you, too, shall guard My courtyards, and I will give you free access among these who stand by.8Hearken, now, O Joshua the High Priest-you and your companions who sit before you, for they are men worthy of a miracle-for, behold! I bring My servant, the Shoot.9For, behold the stone that I have placed before Joshua. Seven eyes are directed to one stone. Behold! I untie its knots, says the Lord of Hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.10On that day, says the Lord of Hosts, you shall call-each man to his neighbor-to come under his vine and under his fig tree.

Zechariah Chapter 4

1And the angel who spoke with me returned, and he awakened me as a man who wakes up from his sleep.2And he said to me, "What do you see?" And I said, "I saw, and behold [there was] a candelabrum all of gold, with its oil-bowl on top of it, and its seven lamps thereon; seven tubes each to the lamps that were on top of it.3And [there were] two olive trees near it; one on the right of the bowl, and one on its left.4So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, "What are these, my lord?"5And the angel who spoke with me answered, and he said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord."6And he answered and spoke to me, saying, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying: 'Not by military force and not by physical strength, but by My spirit,' says the Lord of Hosts.7Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you sink to a plain! He will bring out the stone of the main architect, with shouts of grace, grace to it."