The Folly of Indolence

(A)Go to the ant, you sluggard!
Consider her ways and be wise,
Which, having no [a]captain,
Overseer or ruler,
Provides her [b]supplies in the summer,
And gathers her food in the harvest.
(B)How long will you [c]slumber, O sluggard?
When will you rise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep—
11 (C)So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:7 Lit. leader
  2. Proverbs 6:8 Lit. bread
  3. Proverbs 6:9 Lit. lie down

Go to the ant, you sluggard;(A)
    consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer(B)
    and gathers its food at harvest.(C)

How long will you lie there, you sluggard?(D)
    When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest(E)
11 and poverty(F) will come on you like a thief
    and scarcity like an armed man.

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(A)He who has a slack hand becomes poor,
But (B)the hand of the diligent makes rich.
He who gathers in (C)summer is a wise son;
He who sleeps in harvest is (D)a son who causes shame.

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

He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son,
    but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.(C)

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14 (A)A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth,
(B)And the recompense of a man’s hands will be rendered to him.

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14 From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,(A)
    and the work of their hands brings them reward.(B)

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(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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23 In all labor there is profit,
But [a]idle chatter leads only to poverty.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:23 Lit. talk of the lips

23 All hard work brings a profit,
    but mere talk leads only to poverty.

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26 The person who labors, labors for himself,
For his hungry mouth drives (A)him on.

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26 The appetite of laborers works for them;
    their hunger drives them on.

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29 Do you see a man who [a]excels in his work?
He will stand before kings;
He will not stand before [b]unknown men.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:29 is prompt in his business
  2. Proverbs 22:29 obscure

Saying 6

29 Do you see someone skilled(A) in their work?
    They will serve(B) before kings;(C)
    they will not serve before officials of low rank.

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19 (A)He who tills his land will have plenty of bread,
But he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough!

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19 Those who work their land will have abundant food,
    but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.(A)

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The God-Given Task

(A)What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 10 (B)I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that (C)no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

12 I know that nothing is (D)better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 13 and also that (E)every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.

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What do workers gain from their toil?(A) 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.(B) 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time.(C) He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[a] no one can fathom(D) what God has done from beginning to end.(E) 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink,(F) and find satisfaction(G) in all their toil—this is the gift of God.(H)

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 3:11 Or also placed ignorance in the human heart, so that

Warning Against Idleness

But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (A)that you withdraw (B)from every brother who walks (C)disorderly and not according to the tradition which [a]he received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone’s bread [b]free of charge, but worked with (D)labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have (E)authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.

10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. 11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are (F)busybodies. 12 Now those who are such we command and [c]exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ (G)that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Thessalonians 3:6 NU, M they
  2. 2 Thessalonians 3:8 Lit. for nothing
  3. 2 Thessalonians 3:12 encourage

Warning Against Idleness

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,(A) we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from(B) every believer who is idle and disruptive(C) and does not live according to the teaching[a] you received from us.(D) For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example.(E) We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked(F) night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help,(G) but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate.(H) 10 For even when we were with you,(I) we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work(J) shall not eat.”

11 We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.(K) 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ(L) to settle down and earn the food they eat.(M)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Thessalonians 3:6 Or tradition