Proverbs 13:7-9
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
7 One acts rich but has nothing;
another acts poor but has great wealth.[a]
8 People’s riches serve as ransom for their lives,
but the poor do not even hear a threat.[b]
9 The light of the just gives joy,
but the lamp[c] of the wicked goes out.(A)
Footnotes
- 13:7 Appearances can be deceiving; possessions do not always reveal the true state of a person.
- 13:8 Related to v. 7. Possessions enable the wealthy to pay ransom but the poor are “protected” by lack of possessions: they never hear the threat of the pursuer. Cf. the use of the word “threat” in Is 30:17.
- 13:9 Light…lamp: symbols of life and prosperity; cf. 4:18–19.
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