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Read the Bible

New Century Version

Proverbs 14:23

Those who work hard make a profit, but those who only talk will be poor.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Idleness;   Industry;   Thompson Chain Reference - Business Life;   Capital and Labour;   Evil;   Silence-Speech;   Speaking, Evil;   Talk, Vain;   Vain Talk;   Work, Physical;   The Topic Concordance - Labor;   Poverty;   Profit;   Speech/communication;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Work;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Idle;   Mercy, Merciful;   Proverbs, Book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Penury;   Poor;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Huna;   Reuben David Tebele ben Ezekiel;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
There is profit in all hard work,but endless talk leads only to poverty.
Hebrew Names Version
In all hard work there is profit, But the talk of the lips leads only to poverty.
King James Version
In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.
English Standard Version
In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.
New American Standard Bible
In all labor there is profit, But mere talk leads only to poverty.
Amplified Bible
In all labor there is profit, But mere talk leads only to poverty.
World English Bible
In all hard work there is profit, But the talk of the lips leads only to poverty.
Geneva Bible (1587)
In all labour there is abundance: but the talke of the lippes bringeth onely want.
Legacy Standard Bible
In all painful labor there is profit,But mere words from the lips lead only to want.
Berean Standard Bible
There is profit in all labor, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
Contemporary English Version
Hard work is worthwhile, but empty talk will make you poor.
Complete Jewish Bible
In all work there is profit, but mere talk produces only poverty.
Darby Translation
In all labour there is profit; but the talk of the lips [tendeth] only to want.
Easy-to-Read Version
If you work hard, you will have plenty. If you do nothing but talk, you will not have enough.
George Lamsa Translation
In all your labor there is profit; but he who is young is carefree and at ease. The LORD heals every wound; but the talk of the lips of the wicked tends only to poverty.
Good News Translation
Work and you will earn a living; if you sit around talking you will be poor.
Lexham English Bible
In all toil, there is profit, but the talk of lips leads only to poverty.
Literal Translation
In all labor there is profit, but the talk of the lips tends only to poverty.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Diliget labor bryngeth riches, but where many vayne wordes are, truly there is scarcenesse.
American Standard Version
In all labor there is profit; But the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.
Bible in Basic English
In all hard work there is profit, but talk only makes a man poor.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
In all labour there is profit; but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.
King James Version (1611)
In all labour there is profit: but the talke of the lippes tendeth onely to penury.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
In euery labour there is some profite: but vayne wordes bryng foorth onely penurie.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
With every one who is careful there is abundance: but the pleasure-taking and indolent shall be in want.
English Revised Version
In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
abundaunce `schal be in ech good werk. Sotheli where ful many wordis ben, there nedynesse is ofte.
Update Bible Version
In all labor there is profit; But the talk of the lips [tends] only to penury.
Webster's Bible Translation
In all labor there is profit: but the talk of the lips [tendeth] only to penury.
New English Translation
In all hard work there is profit, but merely talking about it only brings poverty.
New King James Version
In all labor there is profit,But idle chatter [fn] leads only to poverty.
New Living Translation
Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty!
New Life Bible
Some good comes from all work. Nothing but talk leads only to being poor.
New Revised Standard
In all toil there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
By all labour, there will be abundance, but, the talk of the lips, tendeth only to want.
Douay-Rheims Bible
In much work there shall be abundance: but where there are many words, there is oftentimes want.
Revised Standard Version
In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to want.
Young's Literal Translation
In all labour there is advantage, And a thing of the lips [is] only to want.
THE MESSAGE
Hard work always pays off; mere talk puts no bread on the table.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
In all labor there is profit, But mere talk leads only to poverty.

Contextual Overview

23 Those who work hard make a profit, but those who only talk will be poor.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

all: Proverbs 12:24, Proverbs 28:19, John 6:27, Hebrews 6:10, Hebrews 6:11

but: Proverbs 10:10, Ecclesiastes 5:3, 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12, 1 Timothy 5:13

Reciprocal: Judges 19:16 - his work Job 28:10 - every precious thing Proverbs 10:8 - but Proverbs 12:11 - tilleth Proverbs 16:26 - laboureth Ecclesiastes 3:9 - General Isaiah 19:15 - General Ephesians 4:28 - labour

Cross-References

Genesis 14:9
They fought against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Babylonia, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings fighting against five.
Genesis 14:12
They took Lot, Abram's nephew who was living in Sodom, and everything he owned. Then they left.
Genesis 14:15
That night he divided his men into groups, and they made a surprise attack against the enemy. They chased them all the way to Hobah, north of Damascus.
Genesis 14:16
Then Abram brought back everything the enemy had stolen, the women and the other people, and Lot, and everything Lot owned.
1 Kings 13:8
But the man of God answered the king, "Even if you gave me half of your kingdom, I would not go with you. I will not eat or drink anything in this place.
2 Kings 5:16
But Elisha said, "As surely as the Lord lives whom I serve, I won't accept anything." Naaman urged him to take the gift, but he refused.
2 Kings 5:20
Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, thought, "My master has not accepted what Naaman the Aramean brought. As surely as the Lord lives, I'll run after him and get something from him."
2 Corinthians 12:14
I am now ready to visit you the third time, and I will not be a burden to you. I want nothing from you, except you. Children should not have to save up to give to their parents. Parents should save to give to their children.
Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. God has said, "I will never leave you; I will never abandon you." Deuteronomy 31:6

Gill's Notes on the Bible

In all labour there is profit,.... Or "abundance" u; much is got by it, food, raiment, riches, wealth, wisdom, honour; either with the labour of the hands or head, and nothing is to be got without labour; and he that is laborious in his calling, whether it be by manual operation, working with his hands that which is good; or by hard study, much reading, and constant meditation, is like to gain much for his own use and the good of others;

but the talk of the lips [tendeth] only to penury; or "want" w, of food and raiment, the common necessaries of life; a man that spends his time in idle talk, boasting of what he can do and does, and yet does nothing, is in a fair way to come to beggary: so all talk about wisdom, and knowledge, and religion, without making use of the proper means of improvement, tends to the poverty of the mind; and generally they are most empty of knowledge, natural or spiritual, that talk and brag most of it; empty casks make the greatest sound; good discourse, wholesome words, sound doctrine, thoroughly digested, tend indeed to edification, to the enriching of the mind; but vain words, the enticing words of men's wisdom; logomachies, striving about words to no profit; and all great swelling words of vanity, which are all mere lip labour; they tend to spiritual poverty and leanness of soul.

u מותר "abundantia", Tigurine version, Baynus, Mercerus, Gejerus. w למחסור "ad defectum", Pagninus, Montanus; "ad egestatem", Tigurine version, Piscator, Cocceius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The contrast between a single, thorough deed, and the mere emptiness of speech.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 14:23. In all labour there is profit — If a man work at his trade, he gains by it; if he cultivate the earth, it will yield an increase; and in proportion as he labours, so will be his profit: but he who talks much labours little. And a man of words is seldom a man of deeds. Less talk and more work, is one of our own ancient advices.


 
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