¹⁵ The wealth of the rich is their fortress;
    the poverty of the poor is their destruction.

²⁰ The poor are despised even by their neighbors,
    while the rich have many “friends.”

¹¹ The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense;
    they imagine it to be a high wall of safety.

²³ The poor plead for mercy;
    the rich answer with insults.

² The rich and poor have this in common:
    The Lord made them both.

⁷ Just as the rich rule the poor,
    so the borrower is servant to the lender.

¹⁶ A person who gets ahead by oppressing the poor
    or by showering gifts on the rich will end in poverty.

⁶ Better to be poor and honest
    than to be dishonest and rich.

¹¹ Rich people may think they are wise,
    but a poor person with discernment can see right through them.