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Go to the (A)ant, O (B)sluggard,
Observe her ways and be wise,
Which, having (C)no chief,
Officer or ruler,
Prepares her food (D)in the summer
And gathers her provision in the harvest.
How long will you lie down, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
10 (E)A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to [a]rest”—
11 (F)Your poverty will come in like [b]a vagabond
And your want like [c]an armed man.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:10 Lit lie down
  2. Proverbs 6:11 Lit one who walks
  3. Proverbs 6:11 Lit a man with a shield

Go to the ant, you lazy person;
    observe its ways and grow wise.
The ant has no commander, officer, or ruler.
    Even so, it gets its food in summer;
    gathers its provisions at harvest.
How long, lazy person, will you lie down?
    When will you rise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the arms to lie down—
11     and poverty will come on you like a prowler,
        destitution like a warrior.

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Poor is he who works with a slack [a]hand,
But the (A)hand of the diligent makes rich.
He who gathers in summer is a son who acts insightfully,
But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:4 Lit palm

Laziness brings poverty;
    hard work makes one rich.
A wise son harvests in the summer;
    a disgraceful son sleeps right through the harvest.

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26 Like vinegar to the teeth and like smoke to the eyes,
So is the (A)sluggard to those who send him.

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26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
    so are lazy people to those who authorize them.

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11 He (A)who cultivates his land will be satisfied with bread,
But he who pursues empty things lacks a heart of wisdom.

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11 Those who work their land will have plenty to eat,
    but those who engage in empty pursuits have no sense.

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24 The hand of the diligent will rule,
But [a]the slack hand will be (A)put to forced labor.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:24 Lit slackness

24 A hard worker is in charge,
    while a lazy one will be sentenced to hard labor.

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27 A slack handed man does not [a]roast his prey,
But the wealth of a man is (A)precious for the diligent.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:27 Or catch

27 The lazy don’t roast[a] their prey,
    but hard workers receive precious riches.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:27 Heb uncertain

The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,
But the soul of the diligent is enriched.

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The lazy have strong desires but receive nothing;
    the appetite of the diligent is satisfied.

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Where no oxen are, the manger is clean,
But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.

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When there are no oxen, the stall is clean,
    but when there is a strong bull, there is abundant produce.

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23 In all painful labor there is profit,
But mere words from the lips lead only to want.

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23 There is profit in hard work,
    but mere talk leads to poverty.

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19 The way of the sluggard is as a hedge of thorns,
But the path of the upright is a highway.

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19 The path of the lazy is like a hedge of thorns,
    but the way of those who do right is a clear road.

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26 A worker’s appetite works for him,
For his mouth urges him on.

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26 The appetite of workers labors for them,
    for their hunger presses them on.

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

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Those who are lazy in their work
    are brothers to thugs.

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