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He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding.

Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.

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He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.

Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.

By much slothfulness the building decayeth ; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.

Drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread. Go to the ant thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him. The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

The sluggard will not plough by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.

He that gathereth in summer is a wise son

but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.

This was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her, and in her daughters.

They learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also, and busy bodies.

These hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak.

We behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable of you.

to any

We hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busy bodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious.

Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished : but he that gathereth by labour shall increase. The hand of the diligent shall bear rule; but he slothful shall be minder tribute. A slothful

man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

As the door turneth upon its hinges; so doth the slothful upon his bed.

The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.

The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns.

I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding. And lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.

Take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently.

Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God.

Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children.

Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

We desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end that ye be not slothful, but followers of them, who through faith, and patience inherit the promises.

I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day the night cometh, when no man

can work.

Whatsoever thine hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

CHAP. XLVIII.

INTEGRITY.

THE integrity of the upright shall guide them. Let integrity and uprightness preserve thee.

Till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me. My righteousness I will hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

The way of the just is uprightness. The just man walketh in his integrity; his children are blessed after him.

Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.

He that walketh uprightly walketh surely.

A man of understanding walketh uprightly. The generation of the upright shall be blessed. Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness. All the upright in heart shall glory. The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them.

The tabernacle of the upright shall flourish. The upright shall have good things in possession.

The Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

The prayer of the upright is his delight. Such as are upright in their way are his delight.

Let us walk honestly as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

I pray God that ye do no evil; not that we

should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest: having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: providing for honest things not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

CHAP. XLIX.

JUSTICE AND IMPARTIALITY.

Do justice. Blessed is the man that doeth this. That which is altogether just shalt thou follow. Exact no more than that which is appointed you. Render to all their dues. Owe no man any thing but to love one another.

What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

Ye shall do no unrighteousness in weight or in measure; but thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have.

Just balances shall ye have. A false balance is abomination to the Lord; but a just weight is his delight.

Execute true judgment. Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment; thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.

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If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.

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