17:1

רוּחִי חֻבָּלָה יָמַי נִזְעָכוּ קְבָרִים לִי׃

My spirit consumed, my days are extinct, The grave is ready for me.

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17:2

אִם־לֹא הֲתֻלִים עִמָּדִי וּבְהַמְּרוֹתָם תָּלַן עֵינִי׃

Surely there are mockers with me, And mine eye abideth in their provocation.

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17:3

שִׂימָה־נָּא עָרְבֵנִי עִמָּךְ מִי הוּא לְיָדִי יִתָּקֵעַ׃

Give now a pledge, be surety for me with Thyself; Who else is there that will strike hands with me?

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17:4

כִּי־לִבָּם צָפַנְתָּ מִּשָּׂכֶל עַל־כֵּן לֹא תְרֹמֵם׃

For Thou hast hid their heart from understanding; Therefore shalt Thou not exalt them.

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17:5

לְחֵלֶק יַגִּיד רֵעִים וְעֵינֵי בָנָיו תִּכְלֶנָה׃

He that denounceth his friends for the sake of flattery, Even the eyes of his children shall fail.

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17:6

וְהִצִּגַנִי לִמְשֹׁל עַמִּים וְתֹפֶת לְפָנִים אֶהְיֶה׃

He hath made me also a byword of the people; And I am become one in whose face they spit.

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17:7

וַתֵּכַהּ מִכַּעַשׂ עֵינִי וִיצֻרַי כַּצֵּל כֻּלָּם׃

Mine eye also is dimmed by reason of vexation, And all my members are as a shadow.

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17:8

יָשֹׁמּוּ יְשָׁרִים עַל־זֹאת וְנָקִי עַל־חָנֵף יִתְעֹרָר׃

Upright men are astonished at this, And the innocent stirreth up himself against the godless.

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17:9

וְיֹאחֵז צַדִּיק דַּרְכּוֹ וּטֳהָר־יָדַיִם יֹסִיף אֹמֶץ׃

Yet the righteous holdeth on his way, And he that hath clean hands waxeth stronger and stronger.

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17:10

וְאוּלָם כֻּלָּם תָּשֻׁבוּ וּבֹאוּ נָא וְלֹא־אֶמְצָא בָכֶם חָכָם׃

But as for you all, do ye return, and come now; And I shall not find a wise man among you.

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17:11

יָמַי עָבְרוּ זִמֹּתַי נִתְּקוּ מוֹרָשֵׁי לְבָבִי׃

My days are past, my purposes are broken off, Even the thoughts of my heart.

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17:12

לַיְלָה לְיוֹם יָשִׂימוּ אוֹר קָרוֹב מִפְּנֵי־חֹשֶׁךְ׃

They change the night into day; The light is short because of darkness.

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17:13

אִם־אֲקַוֶּה שְׁאוֹל בֵּיתִי בַּחֹשֶׁךְ רִפַּדְתִּי יְצוּעָי׃

If I look for the nether-world as my house; If I have spread my couch in the darkness;

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17:14

לַשַּׁחַת קָרָאתִי אָבִי אָתָּה אִמִּי וַאֲחֹתִי לָרִמָּה׃

If I have said to corruption: ‘Thou art my father’, To the worm: ‘Thou art my mother, and my sister’;

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17:15

וְאַיֵּה אֵפוֹ תִקְוָתִי וְתִקְוָתִי מִי יְשׁוּרֶנָּה׃

Where then is my hope? And as for my hope, who shall see it?

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17:16

בַּדֵּי שְׁאֹל תֵּרַדְנָה אִם־יַחַד עַל־עָפָר נָחַת׃

They shall go down to the bars of the nether-world, When we are at rest together in the dust.

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