Proverbs 6:6-11
English Standard Version
6 (A)Go to (B)the ant, O (C)sluggard;
consider her ways, and (D)be wise.
7 (E)Without having any chief,
(F)officer, or ruler,
8 she prepares her bread (G)in summer
and (H)gathers her food in harvest.
9 (I)How long will you lie there, (J)O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
10 (K)A little sleep, a little slumber,
(L)a little (M)folding of the hands to rest,
11 (N)and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man.
Proverbs 6:6-11
International Standard Version
The Folly of Laziness
6 Go to the ant, you lazy man!
Observe its ways and become wise.
7 It has no commander,
officer, or ruler,
8 but prepares its provisions in the summer
and gathers its food in the harvest.
9 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.
Proverbs 10:4-5
English Standard Version
4 A slack hand (A)causes poverty,
(B)but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5 He who (C)gathers in summer is a prudent son,
but he who sleeps in harvest is (D)a son who brings shame.
Proverbs 10:4-5
International Standard Version
4 Lazy hands bring poverty,
but hard-working hands lead to wealth.
5 Whoever harvests during summer acts wisely,
but the son who sleeps during harvest is disgraceful.
Proverbs 10:26
English Standard Version
26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
so is the sluggard to those who send him.
Proverbs 10:26
International Standard Version
26 As vinegar is to the mouth[a] and smoke to the eyes,
so is the lazy person to those who send him.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 10:26 Lit. teeth
Proverbs 12:11
English Standard Version
11 (A)Whoever works his land (B)will have plenty of bread,
(C)but he who follows (D)worthless pursuits lacks sense.
Proverbs 12:11
International Standard Version
11 Whoever tills his soil will have a lot to eat,
but anyone who pursues fantasies lacks sense.[a]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 12:11 Lit. heart
Proverbs 12:24
English Standard Version
Proverbs 12:24
International Standard Version
24 The diligent will take control,
but the lazy will be put to forced labor.
Proverbs 12:27
English Standard Version
27 (A)Whoever is slothful will not roast his game,
but the diligent man will get precious wealth.[a]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 12:27 Or but diligence is precious wealth
Proverbs 12:27
International Standard Version
27 The lazy person does not roast what he has hunted,
but diligence is one’s most important possession.
Proverbs 13:4
English Standard Version
4 (A)The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,
while the soul of the diligent (B)is richly supplied.
Proverbs 13:4
International Standard Version
4 The lazy person craves, yet receives nothing,
but the desires of the diligent are satisfied.
Proverbs 14:4
English Standard Version
4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
Proverbs 14:4
International Standard Version
4 Where there are no oxen, the feeding trough is clean,
but profits come through the strength of the ox.
Proverbs 14:23
English Standard Version
23 In all toil there is profit,
but mere talk (A)tends only to poverty.
Proverbs 14:23
International Standard Version
23 In hard work there is always profit,
but too much chattering[a] leads to poverty.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:23 Lit. word of lips
Proverbs 15:19
English Standard Version
19 The way of (A)a sluggard is like a hedge of (B)thorns,
but the path of the upright is (C)a level highway.
Proverbs 15:19
International Standard Version
19 The lifestyle of the lazy is like a thorny hedge,
but the path taken by the upright is an open highway.
Proverbs 16:26
English Standard Version
26 A worker's appetite works for him;
his (A)mouth urges him on.
Proverbs 16:26
International Standard Version
26 The appetite of the laborer motivates him;
indeed, his hunger drives him on.
Proverbs 18:9
English Standard Version
9 Whoever is slack in his work
is a (A)brother to him who destroys.
Proverbs 18:9
International Standard Version
Avoiding Fools and Their Foolishness
9 Whoever is lazy regarding his work
is also a brother to the master of destruction.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
