New Living Translation
Proverbs 21:25
25Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work.
Proverbs 21:25 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.
- New International Version (NIV)The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The desire of the lazy man kills him, For his hands refuse to labor.
Context of Proverbs 21:25
23Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble. 24Mockers are proud and haughty; they act with boundless arrogance. Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work. 26Some people are always greedy for more, but the godly love to give! 27The sacrifice of an evil person is detestable, especially when it is offered with wrong motives.
Read all of Proverbs 21Proverbs 21:25 word by word
תַּאֲוַ֣ת עָצֵ֣ל תְּמִיתֶ֑נּוּ כִּֽי־מֵאֲנ֖וּ יָדָ֣יו לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 21:25
- Proverbs 6:6Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise!
- Proverbs 12:24Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave.
- Proverbs 13:4Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.
- Proverbs 15:19A lazy person’s way is blocked with briers, but the path of the upright is an open highway.
- Proverbs 19:24Lazy people take food in their hand but don’t even lift it to their mouth.
- Proverbs 20:4Those too lazy to plow in the right season will have no food at the harvest.
- Proverbs 22:13The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion out there! If I go outside, I might be killed!”
- Proverbs 24:30I walked by the field of a lazy person, the vineyard of one with no common sense.
- Proverbs 26:13The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion on the road! Yes, I’m sure there’s a lion out there!”
- Matthew 25:26“But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate,
Commentaries on Proverbs 21:25
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 25The desire of the slothful killeth him - He desires to eat, drink, and be clothed: but as he does not labor, hence he dies with this desire in his heart, envying those who possess plenty through their labor and industry. Hence he is said to covet greedily all the day long, Proverbs 21:26, while the righteous, who has been laborious and diligent, has enough to eat, and some to spare.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 25Killeth him - He wastes his strength and life in unsatisfied longings for something which he has not energy to gain. The wish to do great or good things may sometimes be taken for the deed, but if the hindrance is from a man‘s own sloth, it does but add to his condemnation.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 25-26Verses 25-26 Here is the misery of the slothful; their hands refuse to labour in an honest calling, by which they might get an honest livelihood; yet their hearts cease not to covet riches, pleasures, and honours, which cannot be obtained without labour. But the righteous and industrious have their desires satisfied.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2525. desire--that is, of ease and idleness brings him to starvation.Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 21:25
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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