31 Bible Verses about Working Hard And Not Being Lazy

Poor is he who works with a negligent and idle hand,
But the hand of the diligent makes him rich.

never lagging behind in diligence; aglow in the Spirit, enthusiastically serving the Lord;

The hand of the diligent will rule,
But the negligent and lazy will be put to forced labor.

I went by the field of the lazy man,
And by the vineyard of the man lacking understanding and common sense;

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.

The lazy man does not catch and roast his prey,
But the precious possession of a [wise] man is diligence [because he recognizes opportunities and seizes them].

The lazy man does not plow when the winter [planting] season arrives;
So he begs at the [next] harvest and has nothing [to reap].

The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance and advantage,
But everyone who acts in haste comes surely to poverty.

He who is careless in his work
Is a brother to him who destroys.

Through laziness the rafters [of state affairs] decay and the roof sags, and through idleness [the roof of] the house leaks.

Go to the ant, O lazy one;
Observe her ways and be wise,

The way of the lazy is like a hedge of thorns [it pricks, lacerates, and entangles him],
But the way [of life] of the upright is smooth and open like a highway.

Laziness casts one into a deep sleep [unmindful of lost opportunity],
And the idle person will suffer hunger.

so that you will not be [spiritually] sluggish, but [will instead be] imitators of those who through faith [lean on God with absolute trust and confidence in Him and in His power] and by patient endurance [even when suffering] are [now] inheriting the promises.

In all labor there is profit,
But mere talk leads only to poverty.

How long will you lie down, O lazy one?
When will you arise from your sleep [and learn self-discipline]?

Concerning this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull and sluggish in [your spiritual] hearing and disinclined to listen.

For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty,
And the drowsiness [of overindulgence] will clothe one with rags.

Do you see a man skillful and experienced in his work?
He will stand [in honor] before kings;
He will not stand before obscure men.

He who gathers during summer and takes advantage of his opportunities is a son who acts wisely,
But he who sleeps during harvest and ignores the moment of opportunity is a son who acts shamefully.

For even while we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.

Indeed, we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined and inappropriate life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies [meddling in other people’s business].

speaking about these things as he does in all of his letters. In which there are some things that are difficult to understand, which the untaught and unstable [who have fallen into error] twist and misinterpret, just as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

“Cursed is the one who does the work of the Lord negligently,
And cursed is the one who restrains his sword from blood [in executing the judgment of the Lord].

The labor of a fool so wearies him [because he is ignorant] that he does not even know how to go to a city.

Let labor be heavier on the men, and let them work [hard] at it so that they will pay no attention to [their God’s] lying words.”

Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance.

The proverbs of Solomon:

A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish [stubborn] son [who refuses to learn] is a grief to his mother.

So, beloved, since you are looking forward to these things, be diligent and make every effort to be found by Him [at His return] spotless and blameless, in peace [that is, inwardly calm with a sense of spiritual well-being and confidence, having lived a life of obedience to Him].

The one who guards his mouth [thinking before he speaks] protects his life;
The one who opens his lips wide [and chatters without thinking] comes to ruin.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) where you are going.