King James Version

Proverbs 13:4

The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

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Hebrew

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מִתְאַוָּ֣הmitavahcovetאָוָהverb, hithpael, participle, absolute — “covet”, a verb used as a describing wordH183to wish forcovet, (greatly) desire, be desirous, long, lust (after).וָ֭אַיִןvaayinand elseאַיִןconjunction, particle, negative — “and else”H369a non-entity; generally used as a negative particleelse, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare H370 (אַיִן).נַפְשׁ֣וֹnafshvocreatureנֶפֶשׁnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “creature”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally,…עָצֵ֑לatselslothfulעָצֵלadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “slothful”, the ordinary formH6102indolentslothful, sluggard.וְנֶ֖פֶשׁvenefeshand creatureנֶפֶשׁconjunction, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “and creature”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally,…חָרֻצִ֣יםcharutsimgoldחֲרוּץadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “gold”, the ordinary formH2742properly, incised or (active) incisive; hence (as noun masculine or feminine) a trench (as dug), gold (as mined), a threshing-sledge (having sharp teeth); (figuratively) determination; also eagerdecision, diligent, (fine) gold, pointed things, sharp, threshing instrument, wall.תְּדֻשָּֽׁןtedushananointדָּשֵׁןverb, pual, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “anoint”, an unfinished actionH1878to be fat; transitively, to fatten (or regard as fat); specifically to anoint; figuratively, to satisfy; to remove (fat) ashes (of sacrifices)accept, anoint, take away the (receive) ashes (from), make (wax) fat.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be abundantly gratified.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

Young’s Literal Translation

The soul of the slothful is desiring, and hath not. And the soul of the diligent is made fat.

World English Bible

The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing, but the desire of the diligent shall be fully satisfied.

Darby Translation

A sluggard's soul desireth and hath nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

Douay-Rheims

The sluggard willeth and willeth not: but the soul of them that work, shall be made fat.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be abundantly gratified.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Every slothful man desires, but the hands of the active are diligent.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἐν ἐπιθυμίαις ἐστὶ πᾶς ἀεργὸς, χεῖρες δὲ ἀνδρείων ἐν ἐπιμελείᾳ.