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and among all the multitudes of people Thou hast gotten Thee one people; and unto this people, whom Thou loved, Thou gavest a law that is approved by all.
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And now, O Lord, why hast Thou given this one people over unto many? And upon the one root hast Thou prepared others; and why hast Thou scattered Thy only one people among many?
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And they who did gainsay Thy promises and believed not Thy covenants have trodden them down.
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If Thou didst so much hate Thy people, yet shouldest Thou punish them with Thine own hands."
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Now when I had spoken these words the angel that came to me the night before was sent unto me,Œ
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and said unto me, "Hear me, and I will instruct thee; hearken to the thing that I say, and I shall tell thee more."
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And I said, "Speak on, my lord." Then said he unto me, "Thou art sorely troubled in mind for Israel's sake; lovest thou that people better than He that made them?"
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And I said, "No, lord; but from very grief have I spoken, for my reins pain me every hour while I labor to comprehend the way of the Most High, and to seek out part of His judgment."
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And he said unto me, "Thou canst not." And I said, "Why, lord? Whereunto was I born then? Or why was not my mother's womb then my grave, that I might not have seen the travail of Jacob and the wearisome toil of the stock of Israel?"
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And he said unto me, "Number me the things that have not yet come, gather me together the dross that are scattered abroad, make me the flowers green again that are withered,
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open me the places that are closed and bring me forth the winds that in them are shut up, show me the image of a voice; and then I will declare to thee the thing that thou laborest to know."