15  ^bA rich man’s wealth is his strong city;

the poverty of the poor is their ruin.

24  ^jOne gives ^kfreely, yet grows all the richer;

another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.

25  ^lWhoever brings blessing ^mwill be enriched,

and ⁿone who waters will himself be watered.

26  ^oThe people curse him who holds back grain,

but ^pa blessing is on the head of him who ^qsells it.

23  The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food,

but it is swept away through ^binjustice.

25  The Lord tears down the house of ^qthe proud

but ^rmaintains ^sthe widow’s boundaries.

5  Whoever mocks the poor ^rinsults his Maker;

he who is ^sglad at calamity will not go ^tunpunished.

4  ^fWealth brings many new friends,

^fbut a poor man is deserted by his friend.

7  ^jAll a poor man’s brothers hate him;

^khow much more do his friends go far from him!

He pursues them with words, but does not have them.¹

17  ^cWhoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,

and he ^dwill repay him for his ^edeed.

13  ^qWhoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor

will himself call out and not be answered.

9  ^aWhoever has a bountiful¹ eye will be blessed,

for he ^bshares his bread with the poor.

16  Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth,

or gives to the rich, ^owill only come to poverty.

22  ^uDo not rob the poor, because he is poor,

or ^vcrush the afflicted at ^wthe gate,

23  for ^xthe Lord will plead their cause

and rob of life those who rob them.

11  ^jRescue those who are being taken away to death;

hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.

12  If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”

^kdoes not he who ^lweighs the heart perceive it?

Does not he who ^mkeeps watch over your soul know it,

and will he not repay man ⁿaccording to his work?

3  ^fA poor man who oppresses the poor

is a beating rain that leaves no food.

27  Whoever ^vgives to the poor will not want,

but he who ^whides his eyes will get many a curse.

8  ^qOpen your mouth for the mute,

for the rights of all who are destitute.¹

9  Open your mouth, ^rjudge righteously,

^sdefend the rights of ^tthe poor and needy.