(A)The lazy man will not plow because of winter;
(B)He will beg during harvest and have nothing.

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Sluggards(A) do not plow in season;
    so at harvest time they look but find nothing.(B)

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(A)He who has a slack hand becomes poor,
But (B)the hand of the diligent makes rich.

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Lazy hands make for poverty,(A)
    but diligent hands bring wealth.(B)

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15 (A)Laziness casts one into a deep sleep,
And an idle person will (B)suffer hunger.

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15 Laziness brings on deep sleep,
    and the shiftless go hungry.(A)

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Fruitful Growth in the Faith

But also for this very reason, (A)giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue (B)knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control [a]perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and (C)to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither [b]barren (D)nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is (E)shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent (F)to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 1:6 patience
  2. 2 Peter 1:8 useless

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;(A) and to knowledge, self-control;(B) and to self-control, perseverance;(C) and to perseverance, godliness;(D) and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.(E) For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive(F) in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.(G) But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind,(H) forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.(I)

10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters,[a] make every effort to confirm your calling(J) and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble,(K) 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom(L) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.(M)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 1:10 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family.

(A)The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;
But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

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A sluggard’s appetite is never filled,(A)
    but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

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24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You (A)wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

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24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags.

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Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, (A)they all slumbered and slept.

“And at midnight (B)a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom [a]is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and (C)trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and (D)the door was shut.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 25:6 NU omits is coming

The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.(A)

“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’(B)

“‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet.(C) And the door was shut.

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13 The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road!
A fierce lion is in the [a]streets!”
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
So does the lazy man on his bed.
15 The (A)lazy man buries his hand in the [b]bowl;
It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.
16 The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes
Than seven men who can answer sensibly.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:13 Or plazas, squares
  2. Proverbs 26:15 LXX, Syr. bosom; Tg., Vg. armpit

13 A sluggard says,(A) “There’s a lion in the road,
    a fierce lion roaming the streets!”(B)
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
    so a sluggard turns on his bed.(C)
15 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
    he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.(D)
16 A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
    than seven people who answer discreetly.

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34 (A)So shall your poverty come like [a]a prowler,
And your need like [b]an armed man.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 24:34 Lit. one who walks about
  2. Proverbs 24:34 Lit. a man with a shield

34 and poverty will come on you like a thief
    and scarcity like an armed man.(A)

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24 (A)A lazy man buries his hand in the [a]bowl,
And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:24 LXX, Syr. bosom; Tg., Vg. armpit

24 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
    he will not even bring it back to his mouth!(A)

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10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep—
11 (A)So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.

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10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest(A)
11 and poverty(B) will come on you like a thief
    and scarcity like an armed man.

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