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Against Sloth

Go to the ant, lazy!
    Consider its ways and be wise.
It has no chief,
    officer, or ruler.
In the summer, it prepares its food;
    in the harvest, it gathers its sustenance.
How long will you lie down, lazy?
    When will you rise up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands for rest—
11 like a robber[a] shall your poverty come,
    and what you lack like an armed man.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:11 Literally “one who walks,” that is, a vagabond

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

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A slack hand causes poverty,
    but the hand of the diligent enriches.
He who gathers in the summer is a child who is prudent;
    he who sleeps at the harvest is a child who brings shame.

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He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.

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26 Like vinegar to the tooth and like smoke to the eyes,
    thus is the lazy to one who employs[a] him.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:26 Or “sends”

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

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11 He who works his land will have plenty of food,
    but he who follows worthless things lacks sense.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:11 Literally “heart”

11 He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding.

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24 The hand of the diligent ones will rule,
    but the lazy will belong to forced labor.

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24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.

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27 The lazy will not roast his game,
    but diligence is the precious wealth of a man.

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27 The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious.

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The soul[a] of the lazy craves, but there is nothing,
    but the person of diligence is richly supplied.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:4 Or “life”

The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

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When there are no[a] oxen the manger is empty,
    but an abundance of crops comes by the strength of an ox.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:4 Literally “In there is no”
  2. Proverbs 14:4 Hebrew “bull”

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

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23 In all toil, there is profit,
    but the talk[a] of lips leads only to poverty.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:23 Literally “word, matter, thing”

23 In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.

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

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:19 Hebrew “thorn”

19 The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.

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26 The life[a] of a worker works for him,
    for his hunger[b] urges him.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 16:26 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
  2. Proverbs 16:26 Literally “mouth”

26 He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.

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Even he who is slack in his work,
    he is brother to a master[a] of destruction.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 18:9 Or “owner”

He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.

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