Punished or Favored
4
Wealth makes many “friends”;
poverty drives them all away.
5
A false witness will not go unpunished,
nor will a liar escape.
6
Many seek favors from a ruler;
everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts!
Verse 4
Many people prefer wealthy friends, and dislike poor people. Such behavior is wrong. See James 2:1-4, Proverbs 18:24, and Luke 14:12-14.
Wealth attracts many "friends," but most of them are just there for the money. On the other hand, people often avoid the poor because they can't offer anything in return. This isn't how things should be.
Verse 5
If a man lies, then he deserves punishment.
This verse is important for politicians. They often lie to protect a party member involved in a scandal or to attack the person who reported it. Even though this is common, it’s wrong. God does not approve of lying.
Verse 6
The people praise the ruler, because they want his help.
These people are not praising the ruler because he is a good ruler. In fact, these people may think that he is a bad ruler. They are praising the ruler, but only because they want him to support them. This is called ‘flattery’.
The people praise the ruler, but their words are not honest. The ruler might think that he has many friends. He is wrong. These people only want his money. If the ruler becomes poor, then he will have no friends. See Proverbs 18:24.
Many people pretend to be friends with powerful or generous people to benefit from them. This shows greed and is not how things should work.
Let me ask you: Do you make friends to get things? Do you ignore the poor because they can't do anything for you?
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