Proverbs 22:16
New International Version
One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and one who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.

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

English Standard Version
Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.

Berean Standard Bible
Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself or giving gifts to the rich will surely lead to poverty.

King James Bible
He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.

New King James Version
He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches, And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty.

New American Standard Bible
One who oppresses the poor to make more for himself, Or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.

NASB 1995
He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself Or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.

NASB 1977
He who oppresses the poor to make much for himself Or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.

Legacy Standard Bible
He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself Or who gives to the rich will only come to lack.

Amplified Bible
He who oppresses or exploits the poor to get more for himself Or who gives to the rich [to gain influence and favor], will only come to poverty.

Christian Standard Bible
Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself, and giving to the rich—both lead only to poverty.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself, and giving to the rich—both lead only to poverty.

American Standard Version
He that oppresseth the poor to increase his gain, And he that giveth to the rich, shall come only to want.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
He that harms the poor increases his own affliction and he that gives to the rich suffers loss to his soul.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
He that oppresses the poor, increases his own substance, yet gives to the rich so as to make it less.

Contemporary English Version
Cheat the poor to make profit or give gifts to the rich--either way you lose.

Douay-Rheims Bible
He that oppresseth the poor, to in- crease his own riches, shall himself give to one that is richer, and shall be in need.

English Revised Version
He that oppresseth the poor to increase his gain, and he that giveth to the rich, cometh only to want.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Oppressing the poor for profit [or] giving to the rich certainly leads to poverty.

Good News Translation
If you make gifts to rich people or oppress the poor to get rich, you will become poor yourself.

International Standard Version
Whoever oppresses the poor to enrich himself and whoever gives gifts to the wealthy will yield only loss.

JPS Tanakh 1917
One may oppress the poor, yet will their gain increase; One may give to the rich, yet will want come.

Literal Standard Version
He [who] is oppressing the poor to multiply his [riches], | Is giving to the rich—only to want.

Majority Standard Bible
Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself or giving gifts to the rich will surely lead to poverty.

New American Bible
Oppressing the poor for enrichment, giving to the rich: both are sheer loss.

NET Bible
The one who oppresses the poor to increase his own gain and the one who gives to the rich--both end up only in poverty.

New Revised Standard Version
Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself, and giving to the rich, will lead only to loss.

New Heart English Bible
Whoever oppresses the poor for his own increase and whoever gives to the rich, both come to poverty.

Webster's Bible Translation
He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.

World English Bible
Whoever oppresses the poor for his own increase and whoever gives to the rich, both come to poverty.

Young's Literal Translation
He is oppressing the poor to multiply to him, He is giving to the rich -- only to want.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Good Name
15Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him. 16Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself or giving gifts to the rich will surely lead to poverty.

Cross References
James 2:13
For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Proverbs 22:22
Do not rob a poor man because he is poor, and do not crush the afflicted at the gate,

Proverbs 28:22
A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty awaits him.

Ecclesiastes 5:8
If you see the oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be astonished at the matter; for one official is watched by a superior, and others higher still are over them.


Treasury of Scripture

He that oppresses the poor to increase his riches, and he that gives to the rich, shall surely come to want.

that oppresseth

Proverbs 22:22,23
Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: …

Proverbs 14:31
He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.

Proverbs 28:3
A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.

he that giveth

Luke 6:33-35
And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same…

Luke 14:12-14
Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee…

Luke 16:24
And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

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Cruel Enrich Gain Gifts Gives Increase Increasing Multiply Need Oppress Oppresses Oppresseth Oppressing Poor Poverty Profit Purpose Rich Riches Surely Want Wealth
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Cruel Enrich Gain Gifts Gives Increase Increasing Multiply Need Oppress Oppresses Oppresseth Oppressing Poor Poverty Profit Purpose Rich Riches Surely Want Wealth
Proverbs 22
1. A good name is more desirable than great wealth














(16) He that oppresseth the poor . . .--Rather, he that does so is (thereby) giving to the rich, only to (his own) loss. That is, he shall be none the better for the act of oppression, but shall have to disgorge his prey to some one richer and more powerful than himself, and thereby be reduced to poverty.

Verse 16. - He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches (so the Vulgate), and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want. There are various renderings and explanations of this verse. The Authorized Version says that he who oppresseth the poor to enrich himself, and he who wastes his means by giving to those who do not need it, will come to poverty. But the antithesis of this distich is thus lost. The Hebrew literally rendered brings out the contrast, Whosoever oppresseth the poor, it is for his gain; whosoever giveth to the rich, it is for his loss. Delitzsch explains the sentence thus: "He who enriches himself by extortion from the poor, at any rate gains what he desires; but he who gives to the rich impoverishes himself in vain, has no thanks, reaps only disappointment." One cannot but feel that the maxim thus interpreted is poor and unsatisfactory. The interpretation in the 'Speaker's Commentary' is more plausible: The oppressor of the poor will himself suffer in a similar mode, and will have to surrender his ill-gotten gains to some equally unscrupulous rich man. But the terse antithesis of the original is wholly obscured by this view of the distich. It is far better, with Hitzig, Ewald, and others, to take the gain in the first hemistich as that of the poor man, equivalent to "doth but bring him gain;" though the sentence is not necessarily to be explained as suggesting that the injustice which the poor man suffers at the hand of his wealthy neighbour is a stimulus to him to exert himself in order to better his position, and thus indirectly tends to his enrichment. The maxim is really conceived in the religious style of so many of these apparently worldly pronouncements, and states a truth in the moral government of God intimated elsewhere, e.g. Proverbs 13:22; Proverbs 28:8; and that truth is that the riches extorted from the poor man will in the end redound to his benefit, that by God's providential control the oppression and injustice from which he has suffered shall work to his good. In the second hemistich the loss is that of the rich man. By adding to the wealth of the rich the donor increases his indolence, encourages his luxury, vice, and extravagance, and thus leads to his ruin - "bringeth only to want. Septuagint, "He that calumniates (συκοφαντῶν) the poor increaseth his own substance, but giveth to the rich at a loss (ἐπ ἐλάσσονι)" i.e. so as to lessen his substance.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Oppressing
עֹ֣שֵֽׁק (‘ō·šêq)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 6231: To press upon, oppress, defraud, violate, overflow

the poor
דָּ֭ל (dāl)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1800: Dangling, weak, thin

to enrich oneself,
לְהַרְבּ֣וֹת (lə·har·bō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7235: To be or become much, many or great

or giving gifts
נֹתֵ֥ן (nō·ṯên)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

to the rich,
לְ֝עָשִׁ֗יר (lə·‘ā·šîr)
Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6223: Rich

[will] surely lead
אַךְ־ (’aḵ-)
Adverb
Strong's 389: A particle of affirmation, surely

to poverty.
לְמַחְסֽוֹר׃ (lə·maḥ·sō·wr)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4270: A need, thing needed, poverty


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 22:16 Whoever oppresses the poor for his own (Prov. Pro Pr)
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