Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger; hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider. Proverbs 27:13

Throughout Scripture, the Bible warns us against giving out loans to people we really don’t know. It doesn’t forbid us to do that; it just warns us not to.

This verse is essentially saying, you might as well throw your money away if you loan money to a stranger because you’re taking a huge risk.

The Book of Proverbs is a book of wisdom. It’s not a book of coersion or force, do’s and don’ts, or weighty commandments, but one of gentle wisdom. Its author is loving, gracious, and forgiving. This verse exempifies that wisdom.