Proverbs 6:6-11
Expanded Bible
6 Go watch the ants, you lazy person.
Watch ·what they do [L its paths] and ·be [or become] wise.
7 Ants have no commander,
no leader or ruler,
8 but they ·store up [get their] food in the summer
and gather their ·supplies [provisions] at harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, you lazy person?
When will you get up from sleeping?
10 ·You sleep a little; you take a nap [L “A little sleep, a little slumber”].
·You fold your hands and [L “A little folding of the arms to…”] lie down to rest.
11 So ·you will be as poor as if you had been robbed [L poverty will come on you like a robber];
·you will have as little as if you had been held up [L deprivation like a shielded warrior].
Proverbs 10:4-5
Expanded Bible
4 A ·lazy person will end up [L slack palm makes a person] poor,
but a ·hard worker will become [L determined hand makes a person] rich.
5 Those who gather crops ·on time [L in the summer] are wise,
but those who sleep through the harvest are a disgrace.
Proverbs 10:26
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26 A lazy person affects the one ·he works for [L who sends him]
like vinegar on the teeth or smoke in the eyes [C irritating].
Proverbs 12:11
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11 Those who work their land will have plenty of food,
but the one who chases ·empty dreams [emptiness] ·is not wise [lacks sense/heart].
Proverbs 12:24
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24 Hard workers will ·become leaders [be in charge],
but those who are lazy will be ·slaves [put to forced labor].
Proverbs 12:27
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27 The lazy ·catch no food to cook [L do not roast their prey],
but a hard worker will have great wealth.
Proverbs 13:4
Expanded Bible
4 The desire of the lazy is strong, but they get nothing,
but desire of those who work hard will be satisfied.
Proverbs 14:4
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4 When there are no oxen, ·no food is in the barn [or the barn is empty].
But with a strong ox, much grain can be grown.
Proverbs 14:23
Expanded Bible
23 Those who work hard make a profit,
but ·those who only talk will be poor [L the word of the lips leads only to lack].
Proverbs 15:19
Expanded Bible
19 A lazy person’s ·life [L path] is like a patch of thorns,
but an ·honest [virtuous] person’s ·life [path] is like a smooth highway.
Proverbs 16:26
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26 The workers’ hunger ·helps [L works for] them,
·because their desire to eat makes them work [L and their mouths press/urge them on].
Proverbs 18:9
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9 A person who doesn’t work hard
is ·just like someone who destroys things [L a brother to a destroyer].
Proverbs 19:15
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15 Lazy people ·sleep a lot [L fall into a deep sleep],
and idle people will go hungry.
Proverbs 19:24
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24 Though the lazy person ·puts [L buries] his hand in the dish,
he won’t lift the food to his mouth.
Proverbs 20:4
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4 Lazy farmers don’t plow ·when they should [L in the winter];
they ·expect [look for] a harvest, but there is none.
Proverbs 20:13
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13 ·If you love to sleep, you [L Do not love to sleep, or you] will be poor.
·If you stay awake [L Keep your eyes open, and], you will have plenty of food.
Proverbs 21:17
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17 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and ·perfume [oil] will never be rich.
Proverbs 21:25-26
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25 Lazy people’s ·desire for sleep [L longings] will kill them,
because ·they refuse to work [L their hands refuse to do anything; 2 Thess. 3:10].
26 All day long they wish for more,
but ·good [righteous] people give without holding back.
Proverbs 22:29
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29 Do you see people ·skilled [or diligent] in their work?
They will work for kings, not for ·ordinary [obscure] people.
Proverbs 24:27
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27 First, ·finish your outside work [execute/establish your affairs in public]
and prepare your fields.
After that, you can build your house.
Proverbs 24:30-34
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30 I ·passed by [happened upon] a lazy person’s field
and by the vineyard of someone ·with no sense [L who lacks heart/sense].
31 Thorns had grown up everywhere.
The ground was covered with weeds,
and the stone walls had fallen down.
32 I ·thought about [took to heart] what I had seen;
I learned this lesson from what I saw.
33 ·You sleep a little; you take a nap [“A little sleep, a little slumber”].
·You fold your hands and [L “A little folding of the arms to…”] lie down to rest [6:10].
34 So ·you will be as poor as if you had been robbed [L poverty will come on you like a robber];
·you will have as little as if you had been held up [L deprivation (will come on you) like a shielded warrior].
Proverbs 26:14
Expanded Bible
14 Like a door turning back and forth on its hinges,
the lazy person turns over and over in bed.
Proverbs 27:18
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18 Whoever ·tends [protects] a fig tree gets to eat its fruit,
and whoever ·takes care of [guards] his master will receive honor.
Proverbs 27:23-27
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23 Be sure you know how your sheep are doing,
and ·pay attention to the condition of [L set your heart on] your cattle.
24 ·Riches [Treasure] will not go on forever,
nor ·do governments go on [a crown/diadem] forever.
25 When the grass is gone and the new grass appears,
gather the ·grass [vegetation] from the hills.
26 Make clothes from the lambs’ wool,
and sell some goats ·to buy [L for the price of] a field.
27 There will be plenty of goat’s milk
to feed you and your ·family [L house]
and to make your ·servant [or young] girls healthy.
Proverbs 28:19
Expanded Bible
19 Those who work their land will have plenty of food,
but the ones who ·chase empty dreams instead [L pursue emptiness] will end up poor.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.