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Against Sloth

Go to the ant, lazy!
    Consider its ways and be wise.
It has no chief,
    officer, or ruler.
In the summer, it prepares its food;
    in the harvest, it gathers its sustenance.
How long will you lie down, lazy?
    When will you rise up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands for rest—
11 like a robber[a] shall your poverty come,
    and what you lack like an armed man.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:11 Literally “one who walks,” that is, a vagabond

(A)Go to (B)the ant, O (C)sluggard;
    consider her ways, and (D)be wise.
(E)Without having any chief,
    (F)officer, or ruler,
she prepares her bread (G)in summer
    and (H)gathers her food in harvest.
(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.

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A slack hand causes poverty,
    but the hand of the diligent enriches.
He who gathers in the summer is a child who is prudent;
    he who sleeps at the harvest is a child who brings shame.

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A slack hand (A)causes poverty,
    (B)but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
He who (C)gathers in summer is a prudent son,
    but he who sleeps in harvest is (D)a son who brings shame.

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26 Like vinegar to the tooth and like smoke to the eyes,
    thus is the lazy to one who employs[a] him.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:26 Or “sends”

26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
    so is the sluggard to those who send him.

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11 He who works his land will have plenty of food,
    but he who follows worthless things lacks sense.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:11 Literally “heart”

11 (A)Whoever works his land (B)will have plenty of bread,
    (C)but he who follows (D)worthless pursuits lacks sense.

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24 The hand of the diligent ones will rule,
    but the lazy will belong to forced labor.

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24 (A)The hand of the diligent will rule,
    while the slothful will be (B)put to forced labor.

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27 The lazy will not roast his game,
    but diligence is the precious wealth of a man.

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27 (A)Whoever is slothful will not roast his game,
    but the diligent man will get precious wealth.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:27 Or but diligence is precious wealth

The soul[a] of the lazy craves, but there is nothing,
    but the person of diligence is richly supplied.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:4 Or “life”

(A)The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,
    while the soul of the diligent (B)is richly supplied.

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When there are no[a] oxen the manger is empty,
    but an abundance of crops comes by the strength of an ox.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:4 Literally “In there is no”
  2. Proverbs 14:4 Hebrew “bull”

Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
    but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.

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23 In all toil, there is profit,
    but the talk[a] of lips leads only to poverty.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:23 Literally “word, matter, thing”

23 In all toil there is profit,
    but mere talk (A)tends only to poverty.

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19 The way of the lazy is like a hedge of thorns,[a]
    but the path of the upright is a highway.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:19 Hebrew “thorn”

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.

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26 The life[a] of a worker works for him,
    for his hunger[b] urges him.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 16:26 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
  2. Proverbs 16:26 Literally “mouth”

26 A worker's appetite works for him;
    his (A)mouth urges him on.

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Even he who is slack in his work,
    he is brother to a master[a] of destruction.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 18:9 Or “owner”

Whoever is slack in his work
    is a (A)brother to him who destroys.

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