25 Bible Verses About Sluggard (NIV)

⁴ The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

⁶ Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! ⁷ It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, ⁸ yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

⁴ A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing.

⁹ One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.

³⁰ I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; ³¹ thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. ³² I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: ³³ A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest- ³⁴ and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.

⁸ If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

²⁵ The sluggard's craving will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work.

⁶ Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!

⁶ Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! ⁷ It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, ⁸ yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. ⁹ How long will you lie there, you sluggard? 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 poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.

⁴ Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.

¹⁴ As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.

¹⁵ The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

²⁴ Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor.

²³ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,

¹² The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.

¹⁰ For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."

¹⁰ Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

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

¹ Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, ² older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. ³ Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. ⁴ But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. ⁵ The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. ⁶ But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. ⁷ Give the people these instructions, too, so that no one may be open to blame. ⁸ If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. ⁹ No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, ¹⁰ and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds. ¹¹ As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. ¹² Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. ¹³ Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to. ¹⁴ So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. ¹⁵ Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan. ¹⁶ If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need. ¹⁷ The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. ¹⁸ For the Scripture says, "Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages." ¹⁹ Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. ²⁰ Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning. ²¹ I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism. ²² Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. ²³ Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses. ²⁴ The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. ²⁵ In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden.

²³ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

¹⁹ He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

¹⁰ For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." ¹¹ We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. ¹² Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. ¹³ And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right. ¹⁴ If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. ¹⁵ Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

¹¹ Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.

¹ Do not envy wicked men, do not desire their company; ² for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble. ³ By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; ⁴ through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. ⁵ A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength; ⁶ for waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers. ⁷ Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the assembly at the gate he has nothing to say. ⁸ He who plots evil will be known as a schemer. ⁹ The schemes of folly are sin, and men detest a mocker. ¹⁰ If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength! ¹¹ Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. ¹² If you say, "But we knew nothing about this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done? ¹³ Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste. ¹⁴ Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. ¹⁵ Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against a righteous man's house, do not raid his dwelling place; ¹⁶ for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity. ¹⁷ Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, ¹⁸ or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him. ¹⁹ Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of the wicked, ²⁰ for the evil man has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out. ²¹ Fear the LORD and the king, my son, and do not join with the rebellious, ²² for those two will send sudden destruction upon them, and who knows what calamities they can bring? Further Sayings of the Wise ²³ These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judging is not good: ²⁴ Whoever says to the guilty, "You are innocent"- peoples will curse him and nations denounce him. ²⁵ But it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them. ²⁶ An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips. ²⁷ Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house. ²⁸ Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, or use your lips to deceive. ²⁹ Do not say, "I'll do to him as he has done to me; I'll pay that man back for what he did." ³⁰ I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; ³¹ thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. ³² I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: ³³ A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest- ³⁴ and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.

³ A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.