At the same time they will also learn to be idle, going from house to house and being not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, discussing things they should not mention.

Through laziness the roof caves in, and in the hands of the idle, the house leaks.

Laziness brings on deep sleep, and an idle soul will suffer hunger.

The slacker craves yet has nothing, but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied.

For even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat.”

Yet we hear that some of you are leading undisciplined lives and accomplishing nothing but being busybodies.

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

The hand of the diligent will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor.

I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment. Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down. I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.

Now this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and complacent; they did not help the poor and needy.

Do not love sleep, or you will grow poor; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of food.

Whoever is slothful in his work is brother to him who destroys.

The slacker does not plow in season; at harvest time he looks, but nothing is there.

Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.

There is profit in all labor, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

The craving of the slacker kills him because his hands refuse to work.

And we urge you, brothers, to admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with everyone.

But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who leads an undisciplined life that is not in keeping with the tradition you received from us.

Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise.

About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ he asked.

A lazy man does not roast his game, but a diligent man prizes his possession.

He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need.

For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe them in rags.

The slacker says, “A lion is in the road! A fierce lion roams the public square!” As a door turns on its hinges, so the slacker turns on his bed. The slacker buries his hand in the dish; it wearies him to bring it back to his mouth. The slacker is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly.

The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.

But require of them the same quota of bricks as before; do not reduce it. For they are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’

The way of the slacker is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway.

The slacker is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly.

The slacker says, “There is a lion outside! I will be slain in the streets!”

and to aspire to live quietly, to attend to your own matters, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you. Then you will behave properly toward outsiders, without being dependent on anyone.

As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.

But their words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe the women.

The slacker buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth.

If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

The craving of the slacker kills him because his hands refuse to work. All day long he covets more, but the righteous give without restraint.

“You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’

About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.

Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the slacker to those who send him.

For even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat.” Yet we hear that some of you are leading undisciplined lives and accomplishing nothing but being busybodies. We command and urge such people by our Lord Jesus Christ to begin working quietly to earn their own living.

Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

The slacker buries his hand in the dish; it wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.

Do not let your zeal subside; keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Surely you recall, brothers, our labor and toil. We worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to anyone while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

A wife of noble character, who can find? She is far more precious than rubies. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he lacks nothing of value. She brings him good and not harm all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. . . .

Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who leads an undisciplined life that is not in keeping with the tradition you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not undisciplined among you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, in labor and toil, we worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you. Not that we lack this right, but we wanted to offer ourselves as an example for you to imitate. For even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat.” . . .

I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people.

Now all the Athenians and foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing more than hearing and articulating new ideas.

For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not undisciplined among you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, in labor and toil, we worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you. Not that we lack this right, but we wanted to offer ourselves as an example for you to imitate.

Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who leads an undisciplined life that is not in keeping with the tradition you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not undisciplined among you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, in labor and toil, we worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you. Not that we lack this right, but we wanted to offer ourselves as an example for you to imitate. For even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat.” . . .

Israel’s watchmen are blind, they are all oblivious; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they are dreamers lying around, loving to slumber.

Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise. Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler, it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, . . .

How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?

We command and urge such people by our Lord Jesus Christ to begin working quietly to earn their own living.

and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.

As a door turns on its hinges, so the slacker turns on his bed.

I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment. Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,

I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment.

You yourselves know that these hands of mine have ministered to my own needs and those of my companions. In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or crude joking, which are out of character, but rather thanksgiving.

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.

This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John,

Better to be lightly esteemed yet have a servant, than to be self-important but lack food.

Take note of anyone who does not obey the instructions we have given in this letter. Do not associate with him, so that he may be ashamed.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.

He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid irreverent, empty chatter and the opposing arguments of so-called “knowledge,”

And He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We are obligated to thank God for you all the time, brothers, as is fitting, because your faith is growing more and more, and your love for one another is increasing. That is why we boast among God’s churches about your perseverance and faith in the face of all the persecution and affliction you are enduring. All this is clear evidence of God’s righteous judgment. And so you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. . . .

Above all, my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or earth or by any other oath. Simply let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, so that you will not fall under judgment.

The slacker says, “A lion is in the road! A fierce lion roams the public square!”

A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. . . .

The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is intolerable even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been stricken with grief and have removed from your fellowship the man who did this? Although I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, and I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, along with the power of the Lord Jesus, hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the Day of the Lord. . . .

Indeed, none of you should suffer as a murderer or thief or wrongdoer, or even as a meddler.

The plans of the diligent bring plenty, as surely as haste leads to poverty.

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

‘You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. ‘You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!

But Jesus answered them, “To this very day My Father is at His work, and I too am working.”

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”

And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men,

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, in labor and toil, we worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you. Not that we lack this right, but we wanted to offer ourselves as an example for you to imitate.

For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.

Then you will not be sluggish, but will imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.

For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God,

But the servant who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment. Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down. I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction:

For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me face to face, that they may be encouraged in heart, knit together in love, and filled with the full riches of complete understanding, so that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this so that no one will deceive you by smooth rhetoric. For although I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, and I delight to see your orderly condition and firm faith in Christ. . . .