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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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20 The poor person is shunned by his neighbor,
    but many are the friends of the wealthy.

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20 The poor is disliked even by his neighbor,
    but the lovers of the rich are many.

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23 The poor person pleads for mercy,
    but the wealthy man responds harshly.

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23 The poor may speak entreaties,
    but the rich will answer roughly.

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The Priorities of Life Contrasted

19 A poor man who walks blamelessly is better
than a fool who speaks perversely.

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19 Better a poor person walking in integrity
    than one who is perverse in his speech[a] and is a fool.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:1 Literally “in his lips”

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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22 Human beings long for grace,
    and it’s better to be poor than a man of deceit.

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22 The craving of a man is his steadfast loyalty,
    and it is better to be poor than a liar.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:22 Literally “man of lying”

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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The rich and the poor have this in common—
    the Lord created both of them.

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Rich and poor have much in common;
    Yahweh is the maker of all of them.

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The wealthy rule over the poor,
    and anyone who borrows is a slave to the lender.

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The rich will rule over the poor,
    and the borrower is a slave of the lender.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:7 Literally “the borrower belonging to a man”

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”