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19 The one who works his land will be satisfied with food,[a]
but whoever chases daydreams[b] will have his fill[c] of poverty.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 28:19 tn Or “will have plenty of food” (Heb “bread”); so NAB, NASB, NCV.
  2. Proverbs 28:19 tn Heb “empty things” or “vain things”; NRSV “follows worthless pursuits.” sn Prosperity depends on diligent work and not on chasing empty dreams. The proverb is essentially the same as Prov 12:11 except for the last expression.
  3. Proverbs 28:19 tn The repetition of the verb strengthens the contrast. Both halves of the verse use the verb יִשְׂבַּע (yisbaʿ, “will be satisfied; will be filled with; will have enough”). It is positive in the first colon, but negative in the second—with an ironic twist to say one is “satisfied” with poverty.

19 A hard worker has plenty of food,
    but a person who chases fantasies ends up in poverty.

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