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Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die):
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Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches-- Feed me with the food allotted to me;
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Lest I be full and deny You, And say, "Who is the Lord?" Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God.
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Do not malign a servant to his master, Lest he curse you, and you be found guilty.
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There is a generation that curses its father, And does not bless its mother.
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There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, Yet is not washed from its filthiness.
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There is a generation--oh, how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up.
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There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, And whose fangs are like knives, To devour the poor from off the earth, And the needy from among men.
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The leech has two daughters-- Give and Give! There are three things that are never satisfied, Four never say, "Enough!":
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The grave, The barren womb, The earth that is not satisfied with water-- And the fire never says, "Enough!"
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The eye that mocks his father, And scorns obedience to his mother, The ravens of the valley will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it.
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There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Yes, four which I do not understand:
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The way of an eagle in the air, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the midst of the sea, And the way of a man with a virgin.
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This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, And says, "I have done no wickedness."
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For three things the earth is perturbed, Yes, for four it cannot bear up:
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For a servant when he reigns, A fool when he is filled with food,
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A hateful woman when she is married, And a maidservant who succeeds her mistress.
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There are four things which are little on the earth, But they are exceedingly wise:
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The ants are a people not strong, Yet they prepare their food in the summer;
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The rock badgers are a feeble folk, Yet they make their homes in the crags;
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The locusts have no king, Yet they all advance in ranks;
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The spider skillfully grasps with its hands, And it is in kings' palaces.
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There are three things which are majestic in pace, Yes, four which are stately in walk:
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A lion, which is mighty among beasts And does not turn away from any;
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A greyhound, A male goat also, And a king whose troops are with him.
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If you have been foolish in exalting yourself, Or if you have devised evil, put your hand on your mouth.
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For as the churning of milk produces butter, And wringing the nose produces blood, So the forcing of wrath produces strife.