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

the poverty of the poor is their ruin.

20  ^eThe poor is disliked even by his neighbor,

^fbut the rich has many friends.

23  The poor use entreaties,

but ^ythe rich answer roughly.

1  ^aBetter is a poor person who ^bwalks in his integrity

than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.

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.

22  What is desired in a man is steadfast love,

and a poor man is better than a liar.

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

will himself call out and not be answered.

2  ^qThe rich and the poor meet together;

the Lord is ^rthe Maker of them all.

7  ^xThe rich rules over the poor,

and the borrower is the slave of the lender.

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.

3  ^fA poor man who oppresses the poor

is a beating rain that leaves no food.

6  ^kBetter is a poor man who ^lwalks in his integrity

than a rich man who is ^lcrooked in his ways.

7  A righteous man ^mknows the rights of the poor;

a wicked man does not ⁿunderstand such knowledge.

13  The poor man and the oppressor ^rmeet together;

the Lord ^sgives light to the eyes of both.

14  If a king ^tfaithfully judges the poor,

his throne will ^ube established forever.

20  She ^aopens her hand to ^bthe poor

and reaches out her hands to ^bthe needy.