One of the strongest statements in Proverbs about what God takes personally.
Quick answer
Mistreat a poor person and the insult travels upward. The verse routes it to the Maker of both parties.
Read both lines
The logic runs through shared origin: the poor person was made by God, so contempt for the made is contempt for the Maker. That is a striking piece of reasoning in an ancient text, and it removes the possibility of treating poverty as a lower category of person. The second line completes the equation from the other side, and its grammar is worth noticing. It does not say that honoring God leads to mercy; it says the one who honors Him is the one who has mercy on the needy. Kindness to the poor is not evidence of worship in this verse. It is the form worship takes.
From this side of the cross
Jesus makes the identification personal rather than merely logical: "inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me" (Matthew 25:40). Proverbs says an insult to the poor reaches their Maker. The gospel says the King was among them.
Related: Matthew 25:40 · Proverbs 17:5 · Proverbs 19:17 · Proverbs 22:2 · Proverbs 14:21
New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. Full copyright information. Scripture provided by API.Bible.
Go Deeper
If this verse has been used to put weight on you that it was never carrying, ask about it directly.