burn The Chosen One of your God, what do you think
he will do to you?"
11 Now the Priests were fearful of her boldness. "If she speaks truly,"
cautioned the city's High Priest, "and we burn her, all our land would
be destroyed, our enemies would swallow us up. Such would be the
punishment of Our God. Call the ten best midwives in the city. Let her
be examined."
12 So the girl was taken to a private chamber, and the midwives were
summoned. When they came back to the Priests they fell upon their
faces, wailing and crying, and begged the Priests not to punish them.
13 "Why should we punish you?" demanded The High Priest. "Speak!"
14 "Lord," they wept, "this woman is a maiden, untouched, as sound as
any girl. But she has every sign of being fulfilled. There IS child
within her, yet it is unquestioned, no man has known her."
15 "When I first came into the room," one woman added, "I did not
believe, called her a whore, and went to slap her. My hand was burned before I
could touch her! If you do not believe, look!" She held out her hand
and the skin was blistered and blackened.....in some places it bled.
16 The Priests wailed and ripped their garments. "Bring her back!" they
cried, "Bring her back!" and the girl reentered the chamber.
17 "You will live here with us," ordered The Priests. "Then, you will
journey to the capitol and see the Highest of all Priests. Your child
will be raised in the temple, taught in the ways of Priests."
18 The girl shook her head. "It shall not be," she insisted. "He shall
NOT be raised in the temple. Outside the city in a pleasant valley is a
house owned by the temple. By it runs a gentle stream, and not far from
it, is a village. You, High Priest,
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