Verse of the Day: The Diligent Makes Rich

2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing,

But righteousness delivers from death.

3 The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish,

But He casts away the desire of the wicked.

4 He who has a slack hand becomes poor,

But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

5 He who gathers in summer is a wise son;

He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.

Proverbs 10:2-5 (NKJV)

From the Nelson Study Bible:

10:3 – This verse speaks of God’s gracious provision of food for the righteous and His retributive justice on the wicked. Proverbs such as this emphasize (1) circumstances as they ought to be and (2) the end of the wicked (see Ps. 73:17). They do not necessarily indicate circumstances as they always are, nor what the wicked are experiencing right now.

10:4 – slack hand…poor: Proverbs often link laziness with poverty, and hard work with riches, but not always (see v.2). This proverb states the norm.

10:5 – Gather in summer contrasts a skillful person with a shameful person, based on whether he works hard during the harvest season. The description of the second person is particularly critical: “he who snores away during the harvest.”