24:1

מַדּוּעַ מִשַּׁדַּי לֹא־נִצְפְּנוּ עִתִּים וידעו [וְיֹדְעָיו] לֹא־חָזוּ יָמָיו׃

Why are times not laid up by the Almighty? And why do not they that know Him see His days?

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24:2

גְּבֻלוֹת יַשִּׂיגוּ עֵדֶר גָּזְלוּ וַיִּרְעוּ׃

There are that remove the landmarks; They violently take away flocks, and feed them.

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24:3

חֲמוֹר יְתוֹמִים יִנְהָגוּ יַחְבְּלוּ שׁוֹר אַלְמָנָה׃

They drive away the ass of the fatherless, They take the widow’s ox for a pledge.

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24:4

יַטּוּ אֶבְיוֹנִים מִדָּרֶךְ יַחַד חֻבְּאוּ עֲנִיֵּי־אָרֶץ׃

They turn the needy out of the way; The poor of the earth hide themselves together.

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24:5

הֵן פְּרָאִים בַּמִּדְבָּר יָצְאוּ בְּפָעֳלָם מְשַׁחֲרֵי לַטָּרֶף עֲרָבָה לוֹ לֶחֶם לַנְּעָרִים׃

Behold, as wild asses in the wilderness They go forth to their work, seeking diligently for food; The desert yieldeth them bread for their children.

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24:6

בַּשָּׂדֶה בְּלִילוֹ יקצירו [יִקְצוֹרוּ] וְכֶרֶם רָשָׁע יְלַקֵּשׁוּ׃

They cut his provender in the field; And they despoil the vineyard of the wicked.

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24:7

עָרוֹם יָלִינוּ מִבְּלִי לְבוּשׁ וְאֵין כְּסוּת בַּקָּרָה׃

They lie all night naked without clothing, And have no covering in the cold.

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24:8

מִזֶּרֶם הָרִים יִרְטָבוּ וּמִבְּלִי מַחְסֶה חִבְּקוּ־צוּר׃

They are wet with the showers of the mountains, And embrace the rock for want of a shelter.

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24:9

יִגְזְלוּ מִשֹּׁד יָתוֹם וְעַל־עָנִי יַחְבֹּלוּ׃

There are that pluck the fatherless from the breast, And take a pledge of the poor;

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24:10

עָרוֹם הִלְּכוּ בְּלִי לְבוּשׁ וּרְעֵבִים נָשְׂאוּ עֹמֶר׃

So that they go about naked without clothing, And being hungry they carry the sheaves;

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24:11

בֵּין־שׁוּרֹתָם יַצְהִירוּ יְקָבִים דָּרְכוּ וַיִּצְמָאוּ׃

They make oil within the rows of these men; They tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.

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24:12

מֵעִיר מְתִים יִנְאָקוּ וְנֶפֶשׁ־חֲלָלִים תְּשַׁוֵּעַ וֶאֱלוֹהַּ לֹא־יָשִׂים תִּפְלָה׃

From out of the populous city men groan, And the soul of the wounded crieth out; Yet God imputeth it not for unseemliness.

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24:13

הֵמָּה הָיוּ בְּמֹרְדֵי־אוֹר לֹא־הִכִּירוּ דְרָכָיו וְלֹא יָשְׁבוּ בִּנְתִיבֹתָיו׃

These are of them that rebel against the light; They know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.

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24:14

לָאוֹר יָקוּם רוֹצֵחַ יִקְטָל־עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן וּבַלַּיְלָה יְהִי כַגַּנָּב׃

The murderer riseth with the light, to kill the poor and needy; And in the night he is as a thief.

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24:15

וְעֵין נֹאֵף שָׁמְרָה נֶשֶׁף לֵאמֹר לֹא־תְשׁוּרֵנִי עָיִן וְסֵתֶר פָּנִים יָשִׂים׃

The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, Saying: ‘No eye shall see me’; And he putteth a covering on his face. .

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24:16

חָתַר בַּחֹשֶׁךְ בָּתִּים יוֹמָם חִתְּמוּ־לָמוֹ לֹא־יָדְעוּ אוֹר׃

In the dark they dig through houses; They shut themselves up in the day-time; They know not the light.

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24:17

כִּי יַחְדָּו בֹּקֶר לָמוֹ צַלְמָוֶת כִּי־יַכִּיר בַּלְהוֹת צַלְמָוֶת׃

For the shadow of death is to all of them as the morning; For they know the terrors of the shadow of death.

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24:18

קַל־הוּא עַל־פְּנֵי־מַיִם תְּקֻלַּל חֶלְקָתָם בָּאָרֶץ לֹא־יִפְנֶה דֶּרֶךְ כְּרָמִים׃

He is swift upon the face of the waters; Their portion is cursed in the earth; He turneth not by the way of the vineyards.

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24:19

צִיָּה גַם־חֹם יִגְזְלוּ מֵימֵי־שֶׁלֶג שְׁאוֹל חָטָאוּ׃

Drought and heat consume the snow waters; So doth the nether-world those that have sinned.

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24:20

יִשְׁכָּחֵהוּ רֶחֶם מְתָקוֹ רִמָּה עוֹד לֹא־יִזָּכֵר וַתִּשָּׁבֵר כָּעֵץ עַוְלָה׃

The womb forgetteth him; the worm feedeth sweetly on him; He shall be no more remembered; And unrighteousness is broken as a tree.

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24:21

רֹעֶה עֲקָרָה לֹא תֵלֵד וְאַלְמָנָה לֹא יְיֵטִיב׃

He devoureth the barren that beareth not; And doeth not good to the widow.

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24:22

וּמָשַׁךְ אַבִּירִים בְּכֹחוֹ יָקוּם וְלֹא־יַאֲמִין בַּחַיִּין׃

He draweth away the mighty also by his power; He riseth up, and he trusteth not his own life.

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24:23

יִתֶּן־לוֹ לָבֶטַח וְיִשָּׁעֵן וְעֵינֵיהוּ עַל־דַּרְכֵיהֶם׃

Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth, Yet His eyes are upon their ways.

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24:24

רוֹמּוּ מְּעַט וְאֵינֶנּוּ וְהֻמְּכוּ כַּכֹּל יִקָּפְצוּן וּכְרֹאשׁ שִׁבֹּלֶת יִמָּלוּ׃

They are exalted for a little while, and they are gone; Yea, they are brought low, they are gathered in as all others, And wither as the tops of the ears of corn.

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24:25

וְאִם־לֹא אֵפוֹ מִי יַכְזִיבֵנִי וְיָשֵׂם לְאַל מִלָּתִי׃

And if it be not so now, who will prove me a liar, And make my speech nothing worth?

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