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Good News Translation

Proverbs 13:4

No matter how much a lazy person may want something, he will never get it. A hard worker will get everything he wants.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Diligence;   Idleness;   Industry;   Slothfulness;   Thompson Chain Reference - Abundance-Want;   Business Life;   Diligence;   Sluggard, the;   Virtues;   Want;   The Topic Concordance - Desire;   Diligence;   Laziness;   Poverty;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Diligence;   Idleness and Sloth;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Work;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;   Slothful;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Fat;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Fat;   Poor;   Sluggard;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for August 24;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The slacker craves, yet has nothing,but the diligent is fully satisfied.
Hebrew Names Version
The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing, But the desire of the diligent shall be fully satisfied.
King James Version
The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
English Standard Version
The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.
New American Standard Bible
The soul of the lazy one craves and gets nothing, But the soul of the diligent is made prosperous.
New Century Version
The lazy will not get what they want, but those who work hard will.
New English Translation
The appetite of the sluggard craves but gets nothing, but the desire of the diligent will be abundantly satisfied.
Amplified Bible
The soul (appetite) of the lazy person craves and gets nothing [for lethargy overcomes ambition], But the soul (appetite) of the diligent [who works willingly] is rich and abundantly supplied.
World English Bible
The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing, But the desire of the diligent shall be fully satisfied.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The sluggard lusteth, but his soule hath nought: but the soule of the diligent shall haue plentie.
Legacy Standard Bible
The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,But the soul of the diligent is enriched.
Berean Standard Bible
The slacker craves yet has nothing, but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied.
Contemporary English Version
No matter how much you want, laziness won't help a bit, but hard work will reward you with more than enough.
Complete Jewish Bible
The lazy person wants but doesn't have; the diligent get their desires filled.
Darby Translation
A sluggard's soul desireth and hath nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
Easy-to-Read Version
Lazy people always want things but never get them. Those who work hard get plenty.
George Lamsa Translation
A sluggard is always craving; but the soul of the diligent shall be enriched.
Lexham English Bible
The soul of the lazy craves, but there is nothing, but the person of diligence is richly supplied.
Literal Translation
The sluggard's soul is craving, but is not getting , but the soul of the hard workers shall be made fat.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The slogarde wolde fayne haue, and can not get his desyre: but the soule of the diligent shal haue plenty.
American Standard Version
The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
Bible in Basic English
The hater of work does not get his desires, but the soul of the hard workers will be made fat.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be abundantly gratified.
King James Version (1611)
The soule of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soule of the diligent shall be made fat.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The sluggarde woulde fayne haue and can not get [his desire:] but the soule of the diligent shall haue plentie.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Every slothful man desires, but the hands of the active are diligent.
English Revised Version
The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
A slow man wole, and wole not; but the soule of hem that worchen schal be maad fat.
Update Bible Version
The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
Webster's Bible Translation
The soul of the sluggard desireth, and [hath] nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
New King James Version
The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.
New Living Translation
Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.
New Life Bible
The soul of the lazy person has strong desires but gets nothing, but the soul of the one who does his best gets more than he needs.
New Revised Standard
The appetite of the lazy craves, and gets nothing, while the appetite of the diligent is richly supplied.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The sluggard, desireth, but his soul hath, nothing. But, the soul of the diligent, shall be enriched.
Douay-Rheims Bible
The sluggard willeth, and willeth not: but the soul of them that work, shall be made fat.
Revised Standard Version
The soul of the sluggard craves, and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.
Young's Literal Translation
The soul of the slothful is desiring, and hath not. And the soul of the diligent is made fat.
THE MESSAGE
Indolence wants it all and gets nothing; the energetic have something to show for their lives.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, But the soul of the diligent is made fat.

Contextual Overview

4 No matter how much a lazy person may want something, he will never get it. A hard worker will get everything he wants.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

desireth: Proverbs 10:4, Proverbs 12:11, Proverbs 12:24, Proverbs 26:13, Numbers 23:10

but: Proverbs 2:2-9, Proverbs 8:34, John 6:27, Hebrews 6:11, 2 Peter 1:5-11

made: Proverbs 11:25, Proverbs 28:25, Psalms 92:14, Isaiah 58:11

Reciprocal: Genesis 26:32 - We have Joshua 7:3 - about two Joshua 18:3 - How long are Ruth 2:7 - continued Proverbs 6:6 - thou Proverbs 6:11 - General Proverbs 12:27 - slothful Proverbs 20:13 - Love Proverbs 21:5 - thoughts Proverbs 21:25 - General Proverbs 24:34 - thy poverty Ecclesiastes 4:5 - fool Song of Solomon 5:3 - have put Luke 16:3 - I cannot Romans 12:11 - slothful Philippians 2:12 - work 2 Thessalonians 3:10 - that Hebrews 6:12 - ye

Cross-References

Genesis 4:26
Seth had a son whom he named Enosh. It was then that people began using the Lord 's holy name in worship.
Genesis 13:1
Abram went north out of Egypt to the southern part of Canaan with his wife and everything he owned, and Lot went with him.
Genesis 13:2
Abram was a very rich man, with sheep, goats, and cattle, as well as silver and gold.
Genesis 13:3
Then he left there and moved from place to place, going toward Bethel. He reached the place between Bethel and Ai where he had camped before
Genesis 13:7
So quarrels broke out between the men who took care of Abram's animals and those who took care of Lot's animals. (At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were still living in the land.)
Genesis 13:8
Then Abram said to Lot, "We are relatives, and your men and my men shouldn't be quarreling.
Genesis 13:18
So Abram moved his camp and settled near the sacred trees of Mamre at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord .
Psalms 26:8
I love the house where you live, O Lord , the place where your glory dwells.
Psalms 84:10
One day spent in your Temple is better than a thousand anywhere else; I would rather stand at the gate of the house of my God than live in the homes of the wicked.
Psalms 107:1
"Give thanks to the Lord , because he is good; his love is eternal!"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The soul of the sluggard desireth, and [hath] nothing,.... He desires knowledge, but does not care to be at any pains to get it, and so has it not; he desires riches, but chooses not to make use of the means, to be diligent and industrious, and so he is without them; he desires to wear good clothes and rich raiment, but is unwilling to labour for them, and therefore is clothed with rags; he desires food, and plenty of it, but refuses to work for it; and he that will not work should not eat, and therefore he has it not, but starves and famishes: and, in spiritual things, the sluggard desires heaven and happiness, but does not care to do the duties of religion; he would die the death of the righteous, but is unwilling to live his life; to abstain from sin, and live soberly and righteously, is too hard service for him; he does not choose to do or suffer anything for the cause of Christ and true religion. Jarchi's note is, that

"in the future state he shall see the glory of the wise man, and desire it; but shall not attain to it;''

but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat; become rich; increase in temporal things, and have great plenty and prosperity; and so, in spiritual matters, such who are diligent in the use of means, constantly attend on the word and ordinances, and labour for the meat which endures to everlasting life; such are filled and satisfied, as with marrow and fatness; and become fat and flourishing, and fruitful in every good word and work; and shall at last arrive to that state where there will be no more hunger and thirst.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 13:4. The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing — We often hear many religious people expressing a desire to have more of the Divine life, and yet never get forward in it. How is this? The reason is, they desire, but do not stir themselves up to lay hold upon the Lord. They are always learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. They seek to enter in at the strait gate, but are not able, because they do not strive.


 
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