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A slave who acts insightfully will rule over a son who acts shamefully,
And will share in the inheritance among brothers.

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A slave who deals wisely will rule over a child who acts shamefully,
    and in the midst of brothers he will share his inheritance.

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He also who is (A)slack in his work
(B)Is brother to him who destroys.

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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”

15 (A)Laziness casts into a deep sleep,
And a slack-handed soul will suffer hunger.

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15 Laziness will bring on a deep sleep,
    and a person[a] of idleness will suffer hunger.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:15 Or “soul,” or “life”

24 The (A)sluggard buries his hand (B)in the dish,
But will not even bring it back to his mouth.

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24 A lazy person buries his hand in the dish,
    and even to his mouth he will not bring it back.

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The (A)sluggard does not plow from winter on,
So he [a]begs during the harvest and has nothing.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 20:4 Lit asks

The lazy person will not plow in season;
    he will expect at the harvest, but there will be nothing.

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13 (A)Do not love sleep, lest you become poor;
Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with [a]food.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 20:13 Lit bread

13 Do not love sleep, lest you become poor;
    open your eyes and have plenty bread.

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The [a]thoughts of the (A)diligent lead surely to profit,
But everyone (B)who is hasty comes surely to poverty.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 21:5 Or plans

The plans of the diligent only lead to abundance,
    but all who are hasty, only to want.

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17 He who (A)loves [a]pleasure will become a poor man;
He who loves wine and oil will not become rich.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 21:17 Lit gladness

17 A man of want is he who loves pleasure;
    he who loves wine and oil[a] will not become rich.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 21:17 Or “fat”

25 The (A)desire of the sluggard puts him to death,
For his hands refuse to work;
26 All day long he [a]is insatiably craving,
While the righteous (B)gives and does not hold back.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 21:26 Lit desires desire

25 The craving of a lazy person will kill him,
    for his hands refuse to work.[a]
26 All day[b] he craves a craving,
    but the righteous will give and not hold back.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 21:25 Or “make”
  2. Proverbs 21:26 Literally “All the day”

13 The (A)sluggard says, “There is a lion outside;
I will be killed in the streets!”

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13 A lazy person says “A lion in the street!
    In the middle of the highway, I shall be killed!”

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29 Do you see a man skilled in his work?
He will (A)stand before kings;
He will not stand before obscure men.

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29 A man who is skillful in his work, you shall see:
    before kings, he will serve;
    he will not serve before the commoners.

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10 If you (A)are slack in the day of trouble,
Your strength is in trouble.

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10 If you faint on the day of adversity,
    little is your strength.

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