Proverbs 6:6-11
International Standard Version
The Folly of Laziness
6 Go to the ant, you lazy man!
Observe its ways and become wise.
7 It has no commander,
officer, or ruler,
8 but prepares its provisions in the summer
and gathers its food in the harvest.
9 How long will you lie down, lazy man?
When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,
11 and your poverty will come on you like a bandit
and your desperation like an armed man.
Proverbs 10:4-5
International Standard Version
4 Lazy hands bring poverty,
but hard-working hands lead to wealth.
5 Whoever harvests during summer acts wisely,
but the son who sleeps during harvest is disgraceful.
Proverbs 10:26
International Standard Version
26 As vinegar is to the mouth[a] and smoke to the eyes,
so is the lazy person to those who send him.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 10:26 Lit. teeth
Proverbs 12:11
International Standard Version
11 Whoever tills his soil will have a lot to eat,
but anyone who pursues fantasies lacks sense.[a]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 12:11 Lit. heart
Proverbs 12:24
International Standard Version
24 The diligent will take control,
but the lazy will be put to forced labor.
Proverbs 12:27
International Standard Version
27 The lazy person does not roast what he has hunted,
but diligence is one’s most important possession.
Proverbs 13:4
International Standard Version
4 The lazy person craves, yet receives nothing,
but the desires of the diligent are satisfied.
Proverbs 14:4
International Standard Version
4 Where there are no oxen, the feeding trough is clean,
but profits come through the strength of the ox.
Proverbs 14:23
International Standard Version
23 In hard work there is always profit,
but too much chattering[a] leads to poverty.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:23 Lit. word of lips
Proverbs 15:19
International Standard Version
19 The lifestyle of the lazy is like a thorny hedge,
but the path taken by the upright is an open highway.
Proverbs 16:26
International Standard Version
26 The appetite of the laborer motivates him;
indeed, his hunger drives him on.
Proverbs 18:9
International Standard Version
Avoiding Fools and Their Foolishness
9 Whoever is lazy regarding his work
is also a brother to the master of destruction.
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