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15 The rich hide within the fortress that is their wealth,
    but the poor are dismayed due to their poverty.

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15 The wealth of the rich is the city of his strength;
    the ruin of the poor is their poverty.

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24 Those who give freely gain even more;
    others hold back what they owe, becoming even poorer.
25 A generous person will prosper,
    and anyone who gives water will receive a flood in return.
26 People will curse whoever withholds grain,
    but blessing will come to whoever is selling.

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24 There is one who gives yet grows richer,[a]
    but he who withholds what is right[b] only finds need.
25 A person of blessing will be enriched,
    and he who gives water also will be refreshed.
26 He who withholds grain, the people curse him,
    but a blessing is for the head of him who sells.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 11:24 Literally “adding more”
  2. Proverbs 11:24 Literally “from what is right”

23 The field of the poor may produce much food,
    but it can be swept away through injustice.

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23 There is much food in the field of the poor,
    but it is swept away[a] by injustice.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:23 Literally “there is sweeping away”
  2. Proverbs 13:23 Literally “no justice”

25 The house of the proud the Lord will demolish,
    but he will protect the widow’s boundary line.

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25 The house of the proud, Yahweh will tear it down,
    but he will maintain the property line[a] of the widow.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:25 Literally “boundary”

Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their maker,
    and whoever is happy about disaster
        will not go unpunished.

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He who mocks the poor insults him who made him;
    he who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished.

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Wealth brings many friends,
    but a poor man is deserted by his friend.

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Wealth adds many friends,
    but the poor will be left by his friends.

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All the relatives of a poor person shun him—
    how much more do his friends avoid him!
Though he runs after them pleading,
    they aren’t around.

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All the brothers of the poor, if they hate him,
    how much more will his friends keep away from him.
    He pursues them with words, and they are gone.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:7 Or “when he pursues words and not them”

17 Whoever is kind to the poor is lending to the Lord
    the benefit of his gift will return to him in abundance.

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17 He who lends to Yahweh is he who is kind to the poor,
    and his benefits he will repay to him.

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13 Whoever refuses to hear the cry of the poor
    will also cry himself, but he won’t be answered.

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13 He who closes his ear from the cry of the poor,
    he also will cry out and not be heard.

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Whoever is generous[a] will be blessed,
    for he shares his food with the poor.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:9 Lit. A good eye

He who is generous[a] will be blessed,
    for he gives to the poor from his own bread.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:9 Literally “the generous of eye”

16 Whoever oppresses the poor to enrich himself
    and whoever gives gifts to the wealthy
        will yield only loss.

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16 He who oppresses the poor in order to enrich himself,
    or gives to the rich, will come to poverty.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:16 Literally “only loss”

22 Don’t rob the poor person because he is poor,
    and don’t crush the helpless in court,[a]
23 for the Lord will plead their case
    and ruin the lives of those who ruin them.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:22 Lit. gate

22 Do not rob the poor because he is poor,
    and do not crush the afflicted at the gate;
23 For Yahweh will plead their case
    and despoil those who despoil them of life.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:23 Or “soul,” or “inner self”