Proverbs 6:6-11
The Voice
6 Take a lesson from the ant, you who love leisure and ease.
Observe how it works, and dare to be just as wise.
7 It has no boss,
no one laying down the law or telling it what to do,
8 Yet it gathers its food through summer
and takes what it needs from the harvest.
9 How long do you plan to lounge your life away, you lazy fool?
Will you ever get out of bed?
10 You say, “A little sleep, a little rest,
a few more minutes, a nice little nap.”
11 But soon poverty will be on top of you like a robber;
need will assault you like a well-armed warrior.
Proverbs 10:4
The Voice
4 A slack hand produces nothing but poverty,
but an industrious hand soon takes hold of riches.
Proverbs 10:5
The Voice
5 A wise son stores up for the winter months while it is still summer,
but a shameful son lies around even during the harvest.
Proverbs 10:26
The Voice
26 As vinegar vexes the teeth, and as smoke irritates the eyes,
so a slacker annoys his boss.
Proverbs 12:11
The Voice
A person in a positive relationship with God stands in a right relationship with His creation. How we treat animals may mirror our souls—not just the pets in our home, but the pets in our neighborhood and the animals in our food supply. One who is truly right with God considers the needs of His creatures.
11 Whoever works the land will have more than enough food,
but whoever follows empty pursuits lacks sense.
Proverbs 12:24
The Voice
24 The hand of the hard workers will one day rule,
and slackers will be forced to labor.
Proverbs 12:27
The Voice
27 Slackers don’t take time to cook their food,[a]
but hard workers prize everything they have.
Footnotes
- 12:27 Meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
Proverbs 13:4
The Voice
4 Slackers crave but have their fill of nothing,
but the hardworking desire and are completely satisfied.
Proverbs 13:11
The Voice
11 Money earned hastily is easily lost,
but hard-earned money continues to grow.
Proverbs 14:4
The Voice
4 A farm without oxen has a manger without grain;
there’s a good return in the strength of an ox.
Proverbs 15:19
The Voice
19 Lazy people walk a path overgrown with thornbushes,
but those with integrity travel a wide, level road.
Proverbs 16:26
The Voice
26 People work to stay alive,
pressed daily by their need to eat.
Proverbs 17:2
The Voice
2 A wise servant will be put in charge of a child who behaves badly
and will take a share of the inheritance like one of the family.
Proverbs 18:9
The Voice
9 Those who slack off at work
are no different from vandals.
Proverbs 19:15
The Voice
15 Laziness lulls people into a deep sleep;
a slacker will have nothing to eat.
Proverbs 19:24
The Voice
24 Some people are so lazy—they reach for food on the plate
but lack the will to bring it up to their mouths.
Proverbs 20:4
The Voice
4 A slacker procrastinates when it is time to plow;
so when it’s time for harvest, there are no crops in the field.
Proverbs 20:13
The Voice
13 Do not fall in love with sleep, or you will awake a poor person.
Stay awake, get to work, and you will have more than enough food.
Proverbs 21:5
The Voice
5 A well-thought-out plan will work to your advantage,
but hasty actions will cost you dearly.
Proverbs 21:17
The Voice
17 Those who live to party, who pursue pleasure, will end up penniless;
those who enjoy lots of wine and rich food will never have money.
Proverbs 21:25-26
The Voice
25 What slackers crave will surely kill them
because they refuse to work.
26 All day, every day the greedy want more,
while those who live right give generously.
Proverbs 22:13
The Voice
13 A lazy person says, “A lion! Right outside!
I will surely die in the streets!
Yet another good reason to stay in today.”
Proverbs 22:29
The Voice
29 And as for those who are skilled in their work,
they will be recognized and invited to serve kings
rather than regular folk.
Proverbs 24:10
The Voice
10 If you fall apart during a crisis,
then you weren’t very strong to begin with.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
