The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.

Haughty eyes and a proud heart—the guides of the wicked—are sin. Making a fortune by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist, a deadly pursuit.… Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. The slacker craves yet has nothing, but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied.

Proverbs 21:5 English Revised Version The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness: but every one that is hasty hasteth only to want. 聖經寶庫 (Treasury of Scripture)

What does Proverbs 21:5 mean? This verse contrasts carefully prepared work with last-minute decisions and sloppy choices. Those who think before they act, and who think well, tend to see better results than those who act on impulse or at the last moment.

Plan carefully and you will have plenty; if you act too quickly, you will never have enough. The plans of the diligent certainly lead to profit, but anyone who is reckless certainly becomes poor. Those who plan and work hard earn a profit. But those who act too quickly become poor.

The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.

5 The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want. 6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.

5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty. 5 Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. 5 Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind.

1. How does the concept of diligence in Proverbs 21:5 compare to modern views on work ethic and success? 2. In what areas of your life do you find yourself acting hastily, and how can you apply the principle of diligence to improve these areas? 3. Reflect on a time when careful planning led to a successful outcome.

5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, But everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty. 6 The acquisition of treasures by a lying tongue Is a fleeting vapor, the pursuit of death. 7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away, Because they refuse to act with justice. 8 The way of a guilty man is crooked, But as for the pure ...