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- "Why are times not stored up by the Almighty, And why do those who know Him not see His days?
- "Some remove the landmarks; They seize and devour flocks.
- "They drive away the donkeys of the orphans; They take the widow's ox for a pledge.
- "They push the needy aside from the road; The poor of the land are made to hide themselves altogether.
- "Behold, as wild donkeys in the wilderness They go forth seeking food in their activity, As bread for their children in the desert.
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- "Why does the Almighty not set times for judgment? Why must those who know him look in vain for such days?
- Men move boundary stones; they pasture flocks they have stolen.
- They drive away the orphan's donkey and take the widow's ox in pledge.
- They thrust the needy from the path and force all the poor of the land into hiding.
- Like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor go about their labor of foraging food; the wasteland provides food for their children.
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- "They harvest their fodder in the field And glean the vineyard of the wicked.
- "They spend the night naked, without clothing, And have no covering against the cold.
- "They are wet with the mountain rains And hug the rock for want of a shelter.
- "Others snatch the orphan from the breast, And against the poor they take a pledge.
- "They cause the poor to go about naked without clothing, And they take away the sheaves from the hungry.
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- They gather fodder in the fields and glean in the vineyards of the wicked.
- Lacking clothes, they spend the night naked; they have nothing to cover themselves in the cold.
- They are drenched by mountain rains and hug the rocks for lack of shelter.
- The fatherless child is snatched from the breast; the infant of the poor is seized for a debt.
- Lacking clothes, they go about naked; they carry the sheaves, but still go hungry.
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- "Within the walls they produce oil; They tread wine presses but thirst.
- "From the city men groan, And the souls of the wounded cry out; Yet God does not pay attention to folly.
- "Others have been with those who rebel against the light; They do not want to know its ways Nor abide in its paths.
- "The murderer arises at dawn; He kills the poor and the needy, And at night he is as a thief.
- "The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight, Saying, 'No eye will see me.' And he disguises his face.
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- They crush olives among the terraces ; they tread the winepresses, yet suffer thirst.
- The groans of the dying rise from the city, and the souls of the wounded cry out for help. But God charges no one with wrongdoing.
- "There are those who rebel against the light, who do not know its ways or stay in its paths.
- When daylight is gone, the murderer rises up and kills the poor and needy; in the night he steals forth like a thief.
- The eye of the adulterer watches for dusk; he thinks, 'No eye will see me,' and he keeps his face concealed.
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- "In the dark they dig into houses, They shut themselves up by day; They do not know the light.
- "For the morning is the same to him as thick darkness, For he is familiar with the terrors of thick darkness.
- "They are insignificant on the surface of the water; Their portion is cursed on the earth They do not turn toward the vineyards.
- "Drought and heat consume the snow waters, So does Sheol those who have sinned.
- "A mother will forget him; The worm feeds sweetly till he is no longer remembered And wickedness will be broken like a tree.
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- In the dark, men break into houses, but by day they shut themselves in; they want nothing to do with the light.
- For all of them, deep darkness is their morning ; they make friends with the terrors of darkness.
- "Yet they are foam on the surface of the water; their portion of the land is cursed, so that no one goes to the vineyards.
- As heat and drought snatch away the melted snow, so the grave snatches away those who have sinned.
- The womb forgets them, the worm feasts on them; evil men are no longer remembered but are broken like a tree.
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- "He wrongs the barren woman And does no good for the widow.
- "But He drags off the valiant by His power; He rises, but no one has assurance of life.
- "He provides them with security, and they are supported; And His eyes are on their ways.
- "They are exalted a little while, then they are gone; Moreover, they are brought low and like everything gathered up; Even like the heads of grain they are cut off.
- "Now if it is not so, who can prove me a liar, And make my speech worthless?"
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- They prey on the barren and childless woman, and to the widow show no kindness.
- But God drags away the mighty by his power; though they become established, they have no assurance of life.
- He may let them rest in a feeling of security, but his eyes are on their ways.
- For a little while they are exalted, and then they are gone; they are brought low and gathered up like all others; they are cut off like heads of grain.
- "If this is not so, who can prove me false and reduce my words to nothing?"
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