1
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Hear these things, all ye nations: give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world.
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2
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All you that are earthborn, and you sons of men: both rich and poor together.
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3
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My mouth shall speak wisdom: and the meditation of my heart understanding.
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4
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I will incline my ear to a parable; I will open my proposition on the psaltery.
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5
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Why shall I fear in the evil day? the iniquity of my heel shall encompass me.
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6
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They that trust in their own strength, and glory in the multitude of their riches,
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7
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No brother can redeem, nor shall man redeem: he shall not give to God his ransom,
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8
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Nor the price of the redemption of his soul: and shall labour for ever,
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9
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And shall still live unto the end.
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10
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He shall not see destruction, when he shall see the wise dying: the senseless and the fool shall perish together: And they shall leave their riches to strangers:
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11
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And their sepulchres shall be their houses for ever. Their dwelling places to all generations: they have called their lands by their names.
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12
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And man when he was in honour did not understand; he is compared to senseless beasts, and is become like to them.
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13
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This way of theirs is a stumblingblock to them: and afterwards they shall delight in their mouth.
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14
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They are laid in hell like sheep: death shall feed upon them. And the just shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their help shall decay in hell from their glory.
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15
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But God will redeem my soul from the hand of hell, when he shall receive me.
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16
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Be not thou afraid, when a man shall be made rich, and when the glory of his house shall be increased.
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17
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For when he shall die he shall take nothing away; nor shall his glory descend with him.
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18
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For in his lifetime his soul will be blessed: and he will praise thee when thou shalt do well to him.
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19
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He shall go in to the generations of his fathers: and he shall never see light.
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20
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Man when he was in honour did not understand: he hath been compared to senseless beasts, and made like to them.
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