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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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The Folly of Laziness

Go to the ant, you lazy man!
    Observe its ways and become wise.
It has no commander,
    officer, or ruler,
but prepares its provisions in the summer
    and gathers its food in the harvest.
How long will you lie down, lazy man?
    When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest,
11 and your poverty will come on you like a bandit
    and your desperation like an armed man.

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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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Lazy hands bring poverty,
    but hard-working hands lead to wealth.
Whoever harvests during summer acts wisely,
    but the son who sleeps during harvest is disgraceful.

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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 As vinegar is to the mouth[a] and smoke to the eyes,
    so is the lazy person to those who send him.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:26 Lit. teeth

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 Whoever tills his soil will have a lot to eat,
    but anyone who pursues fantasies lacks sense.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:11 Lit. heart

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

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24 The diligent will take control,
    but 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 person does not roast what he has hunted,
    but diligence is one’s most important possession.

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

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The lazy person craves, yet receives nothing,
    but the desires of the diligent are satisfied.

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Where no oxen are, the crib is clean,
    but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

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Where there are no oxen, the feeding trough is clean,
    but profits come through the strength of the ox.

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

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23 In hard work there is always profit,
    but too much chattering[a] leads to poverty.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:23 Lit. word of lips

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 lifestyle of the lazy is like a thorny hedge,
    but the path taken by the upright is an open highway.

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26 The appetite of the laboring man labors for him;
    for his mouth urges him on.

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26 The appetite of the laborer motivates him;
    indeed, his hunger drives him on.

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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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Avoiding Fools and Their Foolishness

Whoever is lazy regarding his work
    is also a brother to the master of destruction.

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