"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise" (Proverbs 6:6). "Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger" (Proverbs 19:15). "The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat" (Proverbs 13:4). The New Testament adds: "Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord" (Romans 12:11).
The Bible's word for laziness is slothfulness, and its portrait of the lazy person is the sluggard of Proverbs: always planning to start tomorrow, full of excuses, and slowly losing what he has. Scripture is honest and even humorous about it, but it is not cruel. These twelve King James verses describe the sluggard, expose the excuses we all make, and point to the grace that turns slothful hearts into fervent ones. This page is about laziness itself; for the positive call to diligent labor, see working hard and work.
The sluggard in Proverbs
1. Proverbs 6:6-8
"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."
Go to the ant, thou sluggard. The ant has no boss standing over her, yet she stores food in summer. The lesson is self-motivation: doing what needs doing without being watched or pushed.
2. Proverbs 6:9-11
"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."
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands. Laziness rarely looks like a big decision; it is a string of small delays. Poverty arrives like an armed man, suddenly and hard to stop.
3. Proverbs 19:15
"Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger."
Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep. Idleness feeds itself: the less we do, the less we feel like doing. The cure usually starts with one small, concrete step.
4. Proverbs 26:14
"As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed."
As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed. Solomon's picture is almost funny: the lazy man moves, but only back and forth, never out the door.
Excuses and what they cost
5. Proverbs 22:13
"The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets."
The slothful man saith, There is a lion without. The excuse is absurd, but it sounds serious. Laziness often hides behind dramatic reasons why today is not the day to start.
6. Proverbs 20:4
"The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing."
The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold, so at harvest he has nothing. Uncomfortable seasons are often the planting seasons. Waiting for perfect conditions means missing the harvest.
7. Proverbs 13:4
"The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat."
The sluggard desireth, and hath nothing. Lazy people are not without dreams; they are full of wanting. The difference is that the diligent turn desire into action.
8. Ecclesiastes 10:18
"By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through."
By much slothfulness the building decayeth. Neglect is slow and quiet: a leaky roof, a strained friendship, an unopened Bible. Small faithful upkeep prevents large collapses.
From slothful to fervent
9. Romans 12:11
"Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;"
Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord. Paul's cure for laziness is not shame but purpose: when we work as service to the Lord, the heart catches fire.
10. Hebrews 6:11-12
"And 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."
Be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Spiritual laziness is a danger too, and the antidote is diligent hope and good examples to imitate.
11. 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12
"For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread."
If any would not work, neither should he eat. Paul addresses people who could work but chose idleness and busybody gossip. He commands them, gently, to work with quietness. This is about the unwilling, not the unable.
12. Philippians 2:13
"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."
It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do. If you struggle with motivation, start here: God gives both the desire and the strength to obey. Pray for the will, then take the first step.
A short prayer
Lord, forgive me for the excuses I make and the good I put off. Give me a heart that is fervent, not slothful. Work in me both to will and to do Your good pleasure, and help me take the next faithful step today. In Jesus' name, amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
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Frequently asked questions
What does the Bible say about laziness?
Proverbs warns that the sluggard ends in want (Proverbs 6:9-11; 13:4; 20:4), that "the desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour" (Proverbs 21:25), and the New Testament calls believers to be "Not slothful in business" (Romans 12:11).
Is laziness a sin?
Scripture treats willful slothfulness as a moral issue, not just a personality type (Proverbs 6:6-11; 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12). But grace is offered here as everywhere: God works in us "both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).
Is being tired or depressed the same as laziness?
No. Exhaustion, illness, grief and depression can drain energy and are not the same as unwillingness. The Bible commands rest and shows God caring for a worn-out Elijah. If low energy lasts, please talk with a doctor, and see our pages on rest and depression.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Bible verses about working hard · Bible verses about work · Bible verses about discipline · Bible verses about self-control · Bible verses about motivation · Bible verses about studying
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