Proverbs 14:31

The Message

You insult your Maker when you exploit the powerless; when you’re kind to the poor, you honor God.

Cross References

Psalm 12:5

Into the hovels of the poor, Into the dark streets where the homeless groan, God speaks: “I’ve had enough; I’m on my way To heal the ache in the heart of the wretched.”

Proverbs 14:21

It’s criminal to ignore a neighbor in need, but compassion for the poor—what a blessing!

Proverbs 17:5

Whoever mocks poor people insults their Creator; gloating over misfortune is a punishable crime.

Proverbs 19:17

Mercy to the needy is a loan to God, and God pays back those loans in full.

Proverbs 22:16

Exploit the poor or glad-hand the rich—whichever, you’ll end up the poorer for it.

Proverbs 22:2

The rich and the poor shake hands as equals— God made them both!

Proverbs 28:8

Get as rich as you want through cheating and extortion, But eventually some friend of the poor is going to give it all back to them.

Ecclesiastes 5:8

Don’t be too upset when you see the poor kicked around, and justice and right violated all over the place. Exploitation filters down from one petty official to another. There’s no end to it, and nothing can be done about it. But the good earth doesn’t cheat anyone—even a bad king is honestly served by a field.

Leviticus 25:35

“If one of your brothers becomes indigent and cannot support himself, help him, the same as you would a foreigner or a guest so that he can continue to live in your neighborhood. Don’t gouge him with interest charges; out of reverence for your God help your brother to continue to live with you in the neighborhood. Don’t take advantage of his plight by running up big interest charges on his loans, and don’t give him food for profit. I am your God who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.

Deuteronomy 24:14

Don’t abuse a laborer who is destitute and needy, whether he is a fellow Israelite or foreigner living in your land and in your city. Pay him at the end of each workday; he’s living from hand to mouth and needs it now. If you hold back his pay, he’ll protest to God and you’ll have sin on your books.