Add parallel Print Page Options

Go to the ant, you sluggard.
    Consider her ways, and be wise;
which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
    provides her bread in the summer,
    and gathers her food in the harvest.
How long will you sleep, sluggard?
    When will you arise out of your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to sleep:
11 so your poverty will come as a robber,
    and your scarcity as an armed man.

Read full chapter

Go to the (A)ant, you [a](B)lazy one,
Observe its ways and be wise,
Which, having (C)no chief,
Officer, or ruler,
Prepares its food (D)in the summer
And gathers its provision in the harvest.
How long will you lie down, you [b]lazy one?
When will you arise from your sleep?
10 (E)A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to [c]rest,”
11 (F)Then your poverty will come in like a [d]drifter,
And your need like [e]an armed man.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:6 Lit idle one
  2. Proverbs 6:9 Lit idle one
  3. Proverbs 6:10 Lit lie down
  4. Proverbs 6:11 Lit one who moves about
  5. Proverbs 6:11 Lit a man with a shield

He becomes poor who works with a lazy hand,
    but the hand of the diligent brings wealth.

Read full chapter

Poor is one who works with [a]a lazy hand,
But the (A)hand of the diligent makes rich.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:4 Lit an idle hand

He who gathers in summer is a wise son,
    but he who sleeps during the harvest is a son who causes shame.

Read full chapter

He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely,
But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.

Read full chapter

26 As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes,
    so is the sluggard to those who send him.

Read full chapter

26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the [a](A)lazy one to those who send him.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:26 Lit idle one

11 He who tills his land shall have plenty of bread,
    but he who chases fantasies is void of understanding.

Read full chapter

11 One (A)who works his land will have plenty of bread,
But one who pursues worthless things lacks [a]sense.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:11 Lit heart

24 The hands of the diligent ones shall rule,
    but laziness ends in slave labor.

Read full chapter

24 The hand of the diligent will rule,
But the [a]lazy hand will be (A)put to forced labor.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:24 Lit idle

27 The slothful man doesn’t roast his game,
    but the possessions of diligent men are prized.

Read full chapter

27 [a]A lazy person does not [b]roast his prey,
But the (A)precious possession of a person is diligence.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:27 Lit An indolent
  2. Proverbs 12:27 Or catch

The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing,
    but the desire of the diligent shall be fully satisfied.

Read full chapter

The soul of the [a]lazy one craves and gets nothing,
But the soul of the diligent is made [b]prosperous.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:4 Lit idle
  2. Proverbs 13:4 Lit fat

11 Wealth gained dishonestly dwindles away,
    but he who gathers by hand makes it grow.

Read full chapter

11 Wealth obtained from [a]nothing dwindles,
But one who gathers [b]by labor increases it.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:11 Prob. referring to fraud
  2. Proverbs 13:11 Lit by hand

Where no oxen are, the crib is clean,
    but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

Read full chapter

Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean;
But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.

Read full chapter

19 The way of the sluggard is like a thorn patch,
    but the path of the upright is a highway.

Read full chapter

19 The way of the [a]lazy one is like a hedge of thorns,
But the path of the upright is a highway.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:19 Lit idle

26 The appetite of the laboring man labors for him;
    for his mouth urges him on.

Read full chapter

26 A worker’s appetite works for him,
For his [a]hunger urges him on.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 16:26 Lit mouth