Lectionary Calendar
Friday, July 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Douay-Rheims Bible

Proverbs 21:25

Desires kill the slothful: for his hands have refused to work at all.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Covetousness;   Idleness;   Slothfulness;   Thompson Chain Reference - Sluggard, the;   The Topic Concordance - Desire;   Labor;   Laziness;   Righteousness;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Hands, the;   Idleness and Sloth;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Work;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;   Slothful;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Poetry, Hebrew;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
A slacker’s craving will kill himbecause his hands refuse to work.
Hebrew Names Version
The desire of the sluggard kills him, For his hands refuse to labor.
King James Version
The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.
English Standard Version
The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.
New American Standard Bible
The desire of the lazy one puts him to death, For his hands refuse to work;
New Century Version
Lazy people's desire for sleep will kill them, because they refuse to work.
Amplified Bible
The desire of the lazy kills him, For his hands refuse to labor;
World English Bible
The desire of the sluggard kills him, For his hands refuse to labor.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The desire of the slouthfull slayeth him: for his hands refuse to worke.
Legacy Standard Bible
The desire of the sluggard puts him to death,For his hands refuse to work;
Berean Standard Bible
The craving of the slacker will kill him because his hands refuse to work.
Contemporary English Version
If you want too much and are too lazy to work, it could be fatal.
Complete Jewish Bible
A lazy man's craving will kill him, because his hands refuse to work —
Darby Translation
The desire of the sluggard killeth him; for his hands refuse to work:
Easy-to-Read Version
Lazy people will cause their own destruction because they refuse to work.
George Lamsa Translation
The desire of the sluggard kills him; for his hands refuse to labor.
Good News Translation
Lazy people who refuse to work are only killing themselves;
Lexham English Bible
The craving of a lazy person will kill him, for his hands refuse to work.
Literal Translation
The lust of the lazy man kills him, for his hands have refused to work.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The voluptuousnesse of the slouthfull is his owne death, for his hades wyll not labor.
American Standard Version
The desire of the sluggard killeth him; For his hands refuse to labor.
Bible in Basic English
The desire of the hater of work is death to him, for his hands will do no work.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.
King James Version (1611)
The desire of the slouthfull killeth him: for his hands refuse to labour.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The desire of the slouthfull kylleth him: for his handes wyll not labour.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Desires kill the sluggard; for his hands do not choose to do anything.
English Revised Version
The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Desiris sleen a slow man; for hise hondis nolden worche ony thing.
Update Bible Version
The desire of the sluggard kills him; For his hands refuse to labor.
Webster's Bible Translation
The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labor.
New English Translation
What the sluggard desires will kill him, for his hands refuse to work.
New King James Version
The desire of the lazy man kills him, For his hands refuse to labor.
New Living Translation
Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work.
New Life Bible
The desire of the lazy man kills him, for his hands will not work.
New Revised Standard
The craving of the lazy person is fatal, for lazy hands refuse to labor.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The craving of the sluggard, killeth him, for his hands have refused to work.
Revised Standard Version
The desire of the sluggard kills him for his hands refuse to labor.
Young's Literal Translation
The desire of the slothful slayeth him, For his hands have refused to work.
THE MESSAGE
Lazy people finally die of hunger because they won't get up and go to work.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The desire of the sluggard puts him to death, For his hands refuse to work;

Contextual Overview

25 Desires kill the slothful: for his hands have refused to work at all. 26 He longeth and desireth all the day: but he that is just, will give, and will not cease.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Proverbs 6:6-11, Proverbs 12:24, Proverbs 12:27, Proverbs 13:4, Proverbs 15:19, Proverbs 19:24, Proverbs 20:4, Proverbs 22:13, Proverbs 24:30-34, Proverbs 26:13, Proverbs 26:16, Matthew 25:26

Reciprocal: Joshua 7:3 - about two Proverbs 17:16 - seeing Ecclesiastes 10:18 - General Luke 13:24 - for Luke 16:3 - I cannot 2 Thessalonians 3:10 - that

Cross-References

Genesis 13:7
Whereupon also there arose a strife between the herdsmen of Abram and of Lot. And at that time the Chanaanite and the Pherezite dwelled in that country.
Genesis 21:15
And when the water in the bottle was spent, she cast the boy under one of the trees that were there.
Genesis 21:17
And God heard the voice of the boy: and an angel of God called to Agar from heaven, saying: What art thou doing, Agar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the boy, from the place wherein he is.
Genesis 21:22
At the same time Abimelech, and Phicol the general of his army, said to Abraham: God is with thee in all that thou dost.
Genesis 29:8
They answered: We cannot, till all the cattle be gathered together, and we remove the stone from the well’s mouth, that we may water the flocks.
Judges 1:15
But she answered: Give me a blessing, for thou hast given me a dry land: give me also a watery land So Caleb gave her the upper and the nether watery ground.
Proverbs 17:10
A reproof availeth more with a wise man, than a hundred stripes with a fool.
Proverbs 25:9
Treat thy cause with thy friend, and discover not the secret to a stranger:
Proverbs 27:5
Open rebuke is better than hidden love.
Matthew 18:15
But if thy brother shall offend against thee, go, and rebuke him between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou shalt gain thy brother.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The desire of the slothful killeth him,.... His desire after food and raiment, and riches; for because he cannot have what he desires, being unwilling to work for them, it frets and vexes him to death, or puts him upon unlawful methods to obtain them, which bring him to a shameful death; see Proverbs 13:4;

for his hands refuse to labour; when he is ordered by his superiors, or his wants are such as call for labour; and he seems to be willing and desirous of it, necessity obliging to it, yet he cannot bring his hands to it; these do in effect say, as Aben Ezra observes, Thou shall not do it. Maimonides says this is to be understood of sloth in seeking wisdom h.

h Moreh Nevochim, par. 1. c. 34. p. 47.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Killeth 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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 21:25. The desire of the slothful killeth him — He desires to eat, drink, and be clothed: but as he does not labour, hence he dies with this desire in his heart, envying those who possess plenty through their labour 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.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile