1He who shows mercy lends to his neighbor, and he who helps him with his hand keeps the commandments.
2Lend to your neighbor in his time of need, and in turn, repay your neighbor on time.
3Stand by your word and be trustworthy with him, and you will always find what you need.
4Many have treated a loan as a windfall and have brought trouble to those who helped them.
5Until he receives the loan, he will kiss the lender’s hand and speak humbly about his neighbor’s money. But when it is time to repay, he will delay, offer words of complaint, and blame the circumstances.
6If the lender presses, he will barely get back half, and will count it as a windfall. If not, the borrower has robbed him of his money, and the lender has gained an enemy for no reason. The borrower will repay him with curses and insults, and with dishonor instead of honor.
7Because of such wickedness, many have refused to lend, fearing to be cheated for no reason.
8Nevertheless, be patient with the lowly, and do not make them wait for your charity.
9For the commandment’s sake, help the poor, and in their need do not send them away empty.
10Lose your money for the sake of a brother or a friend; do not let it rust to ruin under a stone.
11Store up your treasure according to the commandments of the Most High, and it will profit you more than gold.
12Lock up alms in your storerooms, and they will rescue you from all affliction.
13Better than a mighty shield and a strong spear, it will fight for you against your enemy.
14A good man goes surety for his neighbor, but one who has lost all shame will abandon him.
15Do not forget the kindness of your guarantor, for he has risked his life for you.
16A sinner will squander the good things of a guarantor;
17and an ungrateful person will abandon the one who saved him.
18Going surety has ruined many prosperous people and tossed them like a wave of the sea. It has driven powerful men from their homes, and they have wandered among foreign nations.
19A sinner who gets involved in giving surety and pursues business ventures will fall into lawsuits.
20Help your neighbor according to your ability, but take care that you yourself do not fall.
21The necessities of life are water, bread, and clothing, and a house to cover one’s nakedness.
22Better the life of a poor person under their own humble roof than lavish food in someone else’s house.
23Be content with little or with much.
24It is a wretched life to go from house to house; where you are a guest, you dare not open your mouth.
25You will be entertained and given drink, but without thanks, and on top of that you will hear bitter words:
26“Come here, guest, set the table, and if you have anything, feed me with it.”
27“Get out, guest, make way for someone more honorable; my brother has come to stay, and I need the room.”
28These things are hard for a person of understanding: being reproached by a host or insulted by a lender.
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