Proverbs 11:24

One person is generous ¹  and yet grows more wealthy, ²  but another withholds more than he should ³  and comes to poverty. ⁴ 

One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want.

It is possible to give freely and become more wealthy, but those who are stingy will lose everything.

The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.

A man may give freely, and still his wealth will be increased; and another may keep back more than is right, but only comes to be in need.

Some give freely, yet grow all the richer; others withhold what is due, and only suffer want.

There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty.

One person is generous ¹  and yet grows more wealthy, ²  but another withholds more than he should ³  and comes to poverty. ⁴ 

¹ tn Heb “There is one who scatters.” The participle מְפַזֵּר (mÿfazzer, “one who scatters”) refers to charity rather than farming or investments (and is thus a hypocatastasis). Cf. CEV “become rich by being generous”).

² tn Heb “increases.” The verb means that he grows even more wealthy. This is a paradox: Generosity determines prosperity in God’s economy.

³ tn Heb “more than what is right.” This one is not giving enough, but saving for himself.

⁴ tn Heb “comes to lack.” The person who withholds will come to the diminishing of his wealth. The verse uses hyperbole to teach that giving to charity does not make anyone poor, and neither does refusal to give ensure prosperity.