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Go to the ant, you sluggard.
    Consider her ways, and be wise;
which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
    provides her bread in the summer,
    and gathers her food in the harvest.
How long will you sleep, sluggard?
    When will you arise out of your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to sleep:
11 so your poverty will come as a robber,
    and your scarcity as an armed man.

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Go to the ant, you lazybones;
    consider its ways and be wise.(A)
Without having any chief
    or officer or ruler,
it prepares its food in summer
    and gathers its sustenance in harvest.(B)
How long will you lie there, O lazybones?
    When will you rise from your sleep?(C)
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest,
11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
    and want, like an armed warrior.(D)

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He becomes poor who works with a lazy hand,
    but the hand of the diligent brings wealth.
He who gathers in summer is a wise son,
    but he who sleeps during the harvest is a son who causes shame.

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A slack hand causes poverty,
    but the hand of the diligent makes rich.(A)
A child who gathers in summer is prudent,
    but a child who sleeps in harvest brings shame.(B)

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

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26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
    so are the lazy to their employers.(A)

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11 He who tills his land shall have plenty of bread,
    but he who chases fantasies is void of understanding.

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11 Those who till their land will have plenty of food,
    but those who follow worthless pursuits have no sense.(A)

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24 The hands of the diligent ones shall rule,
    but laziness ends in slave labor.

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24 The hand of the diligent will rule,
    while the lazy will be put to forced labor.

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27 The slothful man doesn’t roast his game,
    but the possessions of diligent men are prized.

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27 The lazy do not roast[a] their game,
    but the diligent obtain precious wealth.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. 12.27 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  2. 12.27 Meaning of Heb uncertain

The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing,
    but the desire of the diligent shall be fully satisfied.

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The appetite of the lazy craves and gets nothing,
    while the appetite of the diligent is richly supplied.(A)

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11 Wealth gained dishonestly dwindles away,
    but he who gathers by hand makes it grow.

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11 Wealth hastily gotten[a] will dwindle,
    but those who gather little by little will increase it.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 13.11 Gk Vg: Heb from vanity

23 In all hard work there is profit,
    but the talk of the lips leads only to poverty.

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23 In all toil there is profit,
    but mere talk leads only to poverty.

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19 The way of the sluggard is like a thorn patch,
    but the path of the upright is a highway.

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19 The way of the lazy is overgrown with thorns,
    but the path of the upright is a level highway.(A)

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One who is slack in his work
    is brother to him who is a master of destruction.

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One who is slack in work
    is close kin to a vandal.(A)

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