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Those too lazy to plow in the right season
    will have no food at the harvest.

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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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Lazy people are soon poor;
    hard workers get rich.

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

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15 Lazy people sleep soundly,
    but idleness leaves them hungry.

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

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In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.

10 So, dear brothers and sisters,[a] work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:10 Greek brothers.

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.

Lazy people want much but get little,
    but those who work hard will prosper.

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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 the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. 25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’

26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, 27 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

28 “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver.

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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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The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

“At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’

“All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’

“But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’

10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.

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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 person claims, “There’s a lion on the road!
    Yes, I’m sure there’s a lion out there!”

14 As a door swings back and forth on its hinges,
    so the lazy person turns over in bed.

15 Lazy people take food in their hand
    but don’t even lift it to their mouth.

16 Lazy people consider themselves smarter
    than seven wise counselors.

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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 then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;
    scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

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

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24 Lazy people take food in their hand
    but don’t even lift it to their mouth.

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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 extra sleep, a little more slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest—
11 then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;
    scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

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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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