15 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city,(A)
    but poverty is the ruin of the poor.(B)

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15 (A)A rich man's wealth is his strong city;
    the poverty of the poor is their ruin.

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24 One person gives freely, yet gains even more;
    another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

25 A generous(A) person will prosper;
    whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.(B)

26 People curse the one who hoards grain,
    but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell.

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24 (A)One gives (B)freely, yet grows all the richer;
    another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
25 (C)Whoever brings blessing (D)will be enriched,
    and (E)one who waters will himself be watered.
26 (F)The people curse him who holds back grain,
    but (G)a blessing is on the head of him who (H)sells it.

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23 An unplowed field produces food for the poor,
    but injustice sweeps it away.

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

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25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud,(A)
    but he sets the widow’s boundary stones in place.(B)

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

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Whoever mocks the poor(A) shows contempt for their Maker;(B)
    whoever gloats over disaster(C) will not go unpunished.(D)

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Whoever mocks the poor (A)insults his Maker;
    he who is (B)glad at calamity will not go (C)unpunished.

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Wealth attracts many friends,
    but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.(A)

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(A)Wealth brings many new friends,
    (B)but a poor man is deserted by his friend.

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The poor are shunned by all their relatives—
    how much more do their friends avoid them!(A)
Though the poor pursue them with pleading,
    they are nowhere to be found.[a](B)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.

(A)All a poor man's brothers hate him;
    (B)how much more do his friends go far from him!
He pursues them with words, but does not have them.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:7 The meaning of the Hebrew sentence is uncertain

17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,(A)
    and he will reward them for what they have done.(B)

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17 (A)Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,
    and he (B)will repay him for his (C)deed.

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13 Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor
    will also cry out(A) and not be answered.(B)

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13 (A)Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor
    will himself call out and not be answered.

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The generous will themselves be blessed,(A)
    for they share their food with the poor.(B)

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(A)Whoever has a bountiful[a] eye will be blessed,
    for he (B)shares his bread with the poor.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:9 Hebrew good

16 One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth
    and one who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.

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16 Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth,
    or gives to the rich, (A)will only come to poverty.

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Saying 2

22 Do not exploit the poor(A) because they are poor
    and do not crush the needy in court,(B)
23 for the Lord will take up their case(C)
    and will exact life for life.(D)

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22 (A)Do not rob the poor, because he is poor,
    or (B)crush the afflicted at (C)the gate,
23 for (D)the Lord will plead their cause
    and rob of life those who rob them.

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