Proverbs 12:23-28

Contemporary English Version

²⁴ Work hard, and you
    will be a leader;
be lazy, and you
    will end up a slave.
²⁵ Worry is a heavy burden,
but a kind word
    always brings cheer.
²⁶ You are better off to do right,
than to lose your way
    by doing wrong.^[a]
27 Anyone too lazy to cook
    will starve,
but a hard worker
    is a valuable treasure.^[b]
28 Living right is a pathway
that leads to life
    and away from death.