Compare yourself with the ant, O sluggard, And be zealous when you see his ways, And become wiser than he.
For although he has no tilled land, Neither anyone to compel him, Nor any master to rule him,
Yet he prepares all his food in the summer And makes his provisions abundant in the winter.
Or go to the honeybee,
And learn how she is a worker
And how solemnly she does her work,
Whose labors kings and common people use for health; And she is desirable to all and glorious;
And although she is weak in bodily strength, She leads the way in honoring wisdom.
How long, O sluggard, will you be idle,
And when will you arise from sleep?
You sleep a little; you sit down a little; you doze a short while; And you fold your hands on your chest a little;
Then poverty comes to you as an evil traveler
And neediness as a swift runner.
But if you are diligent, your harvest shall come to you as a fountain, And neediness as an evil runner shall desert you.
