Proverbs 12:23–24

¹⁶Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly.

¹⁹In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

¹³A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.

¹⁴Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

²The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.

¹²The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.

¹³The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.

¹⁴A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

³Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.

²⁷The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious.

⁴He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

²⁵The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.

²⁶He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not.

⁴The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

¹⁵Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.

²⁹Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.

²⁸And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.

¹⁵And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.

²A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.

¹³The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

²¹Their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel also were not able utterly to destroy, upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of bondservice unto this day.

¹³The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

¹⁴As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.

¹⁵The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.

¹⁶The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.

³⁰I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

³¹And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

³²Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.

³³Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

³⁴So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.

²⁰And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.