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15 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city.
    The destruction of the poor is their poverty.

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

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24 There is one who scatters, and increases yet more.
    There is one who withholds more than is appropriate, but gains poverty.
25 The liberal soul shall be made fat.
    He who waters shall be watered also himself.
26 People curse someone who withholds grain,
    but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.

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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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23 An abundance of food is in poor people’s fields,
    but injustice sweeps it away.

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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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25 Yahweh will uproot the house of the proud,
    but he will keep the widow’s borders intact.

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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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Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker.
    He who is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.

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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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Wealth adds many friends,
    but the poor is separated from his friend.

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

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All the relatives of the poor shun him:
    how much more do his friends avoid him!
    He pursues them with pleas, but they are gone.

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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

17 He who has pity on the poor lends to Yahweh;
    he will reward him.

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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

13 Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor,
    he will also cry out, but shall not be heard.

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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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He who has a generous eye will be blessed;
    for he shares his food with the poor.

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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

16 Whoever oppresses the poor for his own increase and whoever gives to the rich,
    both come to poverty.

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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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22 Don’t exploit the poor, because he is poor;
    and don’t crush the needy in court;
23 for Yahweh will plead their case,
    and plunder the life of those who plunder them.

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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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