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15 ·Having lots of money protects the rich [L The wealth of the rich is their strong city],
but having no money ·destroys [is the ruin of] the poor.

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15 The (A)rich person’s wealth is his [a]fortress,
The (B)ruin of the poor is their poverty.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:15 Lit strong city

20 The poor are ·rejected [hated], even by their neighbors,
but the rich have many friends [C perhaps an ironic reference to fair-weather friends].

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20 The (A)poor is hated even by his neighbor,
But those who love the rich are many.

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23 The poor beg for mercy,
but the rich give ·rude [harsh] answers.

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23 A (A)poor person utters pleadings,
But a (B)rich person (C)answers defiantly.

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19 It is better to be poor and ·honest [L walking in innocence]
than to be foolish and ·tell lies [L have crooked lips].

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On Life and Conduct

19 (A)Better is a poor person who (B)walks in his integrity
Than a person who is perverse in [a]speech and is a fool.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:1 Lit his lips

Wealthy people are always finding more friends,
but the poor lose all theirs.

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

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Poor people’s relatives ·avoid [L hate] them;
    ·even [L how much more do] their friends stay far away.
They run after them, begging,
    but they are gone.

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All the brothers of a poor person hate him;
How much more do his (A)friends abandon him!
He (B)pursues them with words, but they are [a]gone.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:7 Lit not

17 Being ·kind [gracious; generous] to the poor is like lending to the Lord;
he will ·reward you for what you have done [fully repay you].

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17 One who (A)is gracious to a poor person lends to the Lord,
And He will repay him for his [a](B)good deed.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:17 Or benefits

22 People ·want [desire] others to be loyal,
so it is better to be poor than to be a liar.

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22 What is desirable in a person is his [a]kindness,
And it is better to be a poor person than a liar.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:22 Or loyalty

13 Whoever ·ignores [L closes their ears to] the poor when they cry for help
will also ·cry for help [call out] and not be answered.

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13 One who (A)shuts his ear to the outcry of the poor
Will also call out himself, and not be (B)answered.

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The rich and the poor ·are alike [have a common bond]
in that the Lord made them all.

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The rich and the poor [a]have a common bond,
The Lord is the (A)Maker of them all.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:2 Lit meet together

The rich rule over the poor,
and borrowers are ·servants [slaves] to lenders.

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The (A)rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.

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16 Whoever gets rich by ·mistreating [oppressing] the poor,
and gives presents to the wealthy, will become poor.

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16 One (A)who oppresses the poor to make [a]more for himself,
Or gives to the rich, (B)will only come to poverty.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:16 Lit much