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 riches of the wealthy are their strong city;
    the ruin of the poor is their poverty.

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20 A poor person is hated even by his neighbor,(A)
but there are many who love the rich.(B)

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20 Even their neighbors hate the poor,
    but many love the wealthy.

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23 The poor person pleads,(A)
but the rich one answers roughly.(B)

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23 The poor plead for help,
    but the wealthy answer harshly.

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19 Better a poor person who lives with integrity(A)
than someone who has deceitful lips and is a fool.

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19 Better to be poor and walk in innocence
    than to have dishonest lips and be a fool.

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

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Riches increase one’s friends,
    but the poor lose their friends.

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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

All the relatives of the poor hate them;
    even more, their friends stay far from them.
    When they pursue them with words, they aren’t there.

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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

17 Those who are gracious to the poor lend to the Lord,
    and the Lord will fully repay them.

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22 What is desirable in a person is his fidelity;
better to be a poor person than a liar.(A)

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22 People long for trustworthiness;
    it is better to be poor than a liar.

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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 Those who close their ears to the cries of the poor
    will themselves call out but receive no answer.

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Rich and poor have this in common:[a]
the Lord makes them all.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 22:2 Lit poor meet

The rich and the poor have this in common:
    the Lord made them both.

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The rich rule over the poor,(A)
and the borrower is a slave to the lender.(B)

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The wealthy rule over the poor;
    a borrower is a slave to a lender.

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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 to get rich
    and giving to the wealthy lead only to poverty.

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