Proverbs 13:7

There is one who pretends to be rich ¹  and yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor ²  and yet possesses great wealth. ³ 

One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

There is one who pretends to be rich, but has nothing; Another pretends to be poor, but has great wealth.

Some who are poor pretend to be rich; others who are rich pretend to be poor.

A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life.

A man may be acting as if he had wealth, but have nothing; another may seem poor, but have great wealth.

Some pretend to be rich, yet have nothing; others pretend to be poor, yet have great wealth.

There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.

There is one who pretends to be rich ¹  and yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor ²  and yet possesses great wealth. ³ 

¹ tn The Hitpael of עָשַׁר (’ashar, “to be rich”) means “to pretend to be rich” (BDB 799 s.v. עָשַׁר Hithp); this is the so-called “Hollywood Hitpael” function which involves “acting” or pretending to be something one is not.

² tn The Hitpolel of רוּשׁ (rush, “to be poor”) means “to pretend to be poor” (BDB 930 s.v. Hithpolel); this is another example of the “Hollywood Hitpael” – the Hitpolel forms of hollow root verbs are the equivalent of Hitpael stem forms.

³ sn The proverb seems to be a general observation on certain people in life, but it is saying more. Although there are times when such pretending may not be wrong, the proverb is instructing people to be honest. An empty pretentious display or a concealing of wealth can come to no good.