⁶ O! thou slow man (O! thou lazy one), go to the ant; and behold thou his ways, and learn thou wisdom.

⁷ Which when he hath no duke, neither commander, nor prince (nor leader);

⁸ maketh ready in summer meat to himself, and gathereth together in harvest that, that he shall eat. (prepareth food for himself in the summer, and gathereth together at harvest time what he shall eat.)

⁹ How long shalt thou, slow man, sleep? (How long shalt thou, O lazy one, sleep?) when shalt thou rise from thy sleep?

¹⁰ A little thou shalt sleep, a little thou shalt nap; (and) a little thou shalt join together thine hands that thou sleep (again).

¹¹ And then neediness, as a waygoer, shall come to thee; and poverty, as an armed man. Forsooth if thou art not slow (But if thou art not lazy), thy ripe corn shall come as a well; and neediness shall flee far from thee.

⁴ A slow hand hath wrought neediness; but the hand of strong men maketh ready riches. Forsooth he that enforceth to get anything by leasings, feedeth the winds; soothly the same man followeth birds flying. (Lazy hands create neediness; but strong hands create riches. He who endeavoureth to get anything by lying, feedeth the wind; yea, that person runneth after birds in flight.)

⁵ He that gathereth together in harvest, is a wise son; but he that sleepeth in summer, is a son of confusion. (He who gathereth together at harvest time, is wise; but he who sleepeth in summer, is a disgrace.)

²⁶ As vinegar harmeth the teeth, and smoke harmeth the eyes; so a slow man harmeth them that sent him in the way. (Like vinegar harmeth the teeth, and smoke harmeth the eyes; so a lazy man harmeth those who sent him on the way.)

¹¹ He that worketh his land, shall be filled with loaves; but he that followeth idleness, is most fool(ish). He that is sweet, that is mild, liveth in temperances; and in his admonishings he forsaketh despisings (He who is humble, liveth temperately; and he forsaketh despisings in all of his admonishings).

²⁴ The hand of strong men shall have lordship; but the hand that is slow, shall serve to tributes. (The hand of the strong shall rule; but those who be lazy, shall become slaves.)

²⁷ A guileful man shall not find winning; and the substance of (a diligent) man shall be (equal to) the price of gold, that is, preciouser than gold. (A deceitful, or a lazy, person shall not find winning; but the substance, or the reward, of a diligent person shall be equal to the price of gold, that is, shall be more precious than gold.)

⁴ A slow man will, and will not; but the soul of them that work shall be made fat. (A lazy person desireth, and desireth not; but those who do work shall prosper.)

¹¹ Hasted chattel, that is, gotten hastily, shall be made less; but that that is gathered little and little with hand, shall be multiplied (but that which is gathered little by little, shall be multiplied).

⁴ Where oxen be not, the cratch is void (the stall is empty); but where full many corns appear, there the strength of the ox is [made] open.