Let me make sure I've got this right. One night in December - in the middle of the rainy season - Joseph returns home from work and announces to his wife, Mary (a young lass of thireteen or fourteen in her ninth month of pregnancy) that they must immediately depart for Bethlehem in order to fulfill some vague scriptural prophecy. It's a journey of over one hundred and thirty kilometers that passes through some of the most treacherous and hostile territory in all of Jerusalem. However, Mary, despite being jerked and jostled on the back of a jackass and struggling on foot through thick muck and mire, manages to complete this arduous trek without hemorrhaging, breaking her water, or using harsh language. No doubt this has to be another one of those take it on 'faith' stories, right?
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Matthew 27:45:
From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.
(NIV)
Now from the sixth hour (noon) there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour (three o'clock).
(AMP)
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
(KJV)
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In order for life to have appeared spontaneously on Earth, there first had to be hundreds of millions of protein molecules of the Ninth Configuration. But, given the size of the planet Earth, do you know how long it would take for just one of these protein molecules to appear by chance? Roughly 10 to the 243rd power, billions of years; and I find that far, far more fantastic than simply believing in a god.
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Life's like a ball game. You gotta take a swing at whatever comes along before you wake up and find out it's the ninth inning.
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Mark 15:34:
And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?' (which means 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?').
(NIV)
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?--which means, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me [deserting Me and leaving Me helpless and abandoned]? [Ps. 22:1.](AMP)
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
(KJV)
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Matthew 27:46:
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?' (which means 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?').
(NIV)
And about the ninth hour (three o'clock) Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?--that is, My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me [leaving Me helpless, forsaking and failing Me in My need]? [Ps. 22:1.](AMP)
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
(KJV)
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If a writer knows enough about what he is writing about, he may omit things that he knows. The dignity of movement of an iceberg is due to only one ninth of it being above water.
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Blessed is the man who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed was the ninth beatitude.
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You cannot produce a baby in one month by impregnating nine women.
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Acts 3:1:
One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer – at three in the afternoon.
(NIV)
NOW PETER and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour (three o'clock in the afternoon)
(AMP)
Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
(KJV)
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