Proverbs 22:26-27 (ESV)
26 Be not one of those who give pledges,
who put up security for debts.
27 If you have nothing with which to pay,
why should your bed be taken from under you?
Saying 4 warns against the foolishness of putting up security for the debts of others. It is unwise to get yourself entangled in someone else’s financial problems. Although we should be quick to give to and assist those less fortunate, at the same time, to willingly take on another’s debt, especially if we cannot afford to just cover it ourselves, is unwise. Why should you worry about whether or not the other party is making her payments? And what happens if she fails to follow through on the commitment? Then you lose the wealth you may have as a result, even down to your own bed. And how have you really helped the one you co- signed for? All you did was enable her to access something she really couldn’t afford. Better to help others get work and manage their money properly than to take their financial problems on yourself.