WISDOM FOR DEBTS AND DILIGENCE

Passage: Proverbs 6:1-11

Key verse: 3b

NIV

Warnings Against Folly

6 My son,(A) if you have put up security(B) for your neighbor,(C)
    if you have shaken hands in pledge(D) for a stranger,
2 you have been trapped by what you said,
    ensnared by the words of your mouth.
3 So do this, my son, to free yourself,
    since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands:
Go—to the point of exhaustion—[a]
    and give your neighbor no rest!
4 Allow no sleep to your eyes,
    no slumber to your eyelids.(E)
5 Free yourself, like a gazelle(F) from the hand of the hunter,(G)
    like a bird from the snare of the fowler.(H)

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;(I)
    consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer(J)
    and gathers its food at harvest.(K)

9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard?(L)
    When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest(M)—
11 and poverty(N) will come on you like a thief
    and scarcity like an armed man.

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Proverbs 6:3 Or Go and humble yourself,
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Practical Warnings

6 My son, if you have put up (A)security for your neighbor,
    have (B)given your pledge for a stranger,
2 if you are (C)snared in the words of your mouth,
    caught in the words of your mouth,
3 then do this, my son, and save yourself,
    for you have come into the hand of your neighbor:
    go, hasten,[a] and (D)plead urgently with your neighbor.
4 (E)Give your eyes no sleep
    and your eyelids no slumber;
5 save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,[b]
    (F)like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6 (G)Go to (H)the ant, O (I)sluggard;
    consider her ways, and (J)be wise.
7 (K)Without having any chief,
    (L)officer, or ruler,
8 she prepares her bread (M)in summer
    and (N)gathers her food in harvest.
9 (O)How long will you lie there, (P)O sluggard?
    When will you arise from your sleep?
10 (Q)A little sleep, a little slumber,
    (R)a little (S)folding of the hands to rest,
11 (T)and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
    and want like an armed man.

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Proverbs 6:3 Or humble yourself
  2. Proverbs 6:5 Hebrew lacks of the hunter
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. Free yourself from debts (1-5) To be a debtor is as serious as for a gazelle to be trapped by the hunter. Therefore, we should quickly free ourselves from debts by all means, such as working hard till we pay back all debts. Many of today's people are caught in credit card debt, school loans or mortgage payments. We must pay back all debts by all means as soon as possible. Debt is also compared to sins. People don't take sin seriously but sin leads us to eternal destruction. We should go quickly to Jesus to solve all our debts. 2. Consider the ant, you sluggard (6-11) For the sluggard the wise teaches them to go to the ant and learn from its ways. The ant stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest, though it has no commander, no overseer or ruler. But a sluggard says, "I will do it tomorrow," then poverty will surely come like a thief. A good gospel worker is prepared in season and out of season to gather spiritual harvests.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for teaching me not to be in material debts as well as spiritual debts but to quickly pay them back. Let me be a diligent spiritual harvest worker.

One Word: Be free from debts and be diligent to harvest