15 The wealth of the rich is his fortified city;(A)
the poverty of the poor is their destruction.

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15 The wealth of the rich is their fortress;
    the poverty of the poor is their ruin.(A)

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24 One person gives freely,
yet gains more;(A)
another withholds what is right,
only to become poor.(B)

25 A generous person will be enriched,(C)
and the one who gives a drink of water
will receive water.(D)

26 People will curse(E) anyone who hoards grain,
but a blessing will come to the one who sells it.(F)

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24 Some give freely yet grow all the richer;
    others withhold what is due and only suffer want.(A)
25 A generous person will be enriched,
    and one who gives water will get water.(B)
26 The people curse those who hold back grain,
    but a blessing is on the head of those who sell it.(C)

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23 The uncultivated field of the poor yields abundant food,
but without justice, it is swept away.

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23 The field of the poor may yield much food,
    but it is swept away through injustice.(A)

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25 The Lord tears apart the house of the proud,
but he protects the widow’s territory.(A)

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25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud
    but maintains the widow’s boundaries.(A)

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The one who mocks the poor insults his Maker,(A)
and one who rejoices over calamity
will not go unpunished.(B)

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Those who mock the poor insult their Maker;
    those who are glad at calamity will not go unpunished.(A)

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Wealth attracts many friends,(A)
but a poor person is separated from his friend.

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Wealth brings many friends,
    but the poor are left friendless.(A)

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All the brothers of a poor person hate him;(A)
how much more do his friends
keep their distance from him!
He may pursue them with words,(B)
but they are not there.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 19:7 Hb uncertain

If the poor are hated even by their kin,
    how much more are they shunned by their friends!
When they call after them, they are not there.[a](A)

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Footnotes

  1. 19.7 Meaning of Heb uncertain

17 Kindness to the poor is a loan to the Lord,(A)
and he will give a reward to the lender.[a](B)

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Footnotes

  1. 19:17 Lit to him

17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord
    and will be repaid in full.(A)

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13 The one who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor
will himself also call out and not be answered.(A)

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13 If you close your ear to the cry of the poor,
    you will cry out and not be heard.(A)

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A generous person[a] will be blessed,(A)
for he shares his food with the poor.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 22:9 Lit Good of eye

Those who are generous are blessed,
    for they share their bread with the poor.(A)

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16 Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself,
and giving to the rich—both lead only to poverty.(A)

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16 Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself,
    and giving to the rich, will lead only to loss.

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22 Don’t rob a poor person because he is poor,
and don’t crush the oppressed(A) at the city gate,(B)
23 for the Lord will champion their cause(C)
and will plunder those who plunder them.

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22 Do not rob the poor because they are poor
    or crush the afflicted at the gate,(A)
23 for the Lord pleads their cause
    and despoils of life those who despoil them.(B)

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