If that last one was you, you’re the one I wrote that headline for.
That doesn’t mean that this article isn’t for everyone. It is. Well, nearly everyone. It’s especially directed at entrepreneurs - treps, for short. Businessmen and businesswomen in general will probably find it useful. If you don’t consider yourself to be in any of those categories, you still can definitely glean something from what will follow and apply it to yourself.
Possibly the only people who won’t benefit even in the least from this are those who think proverbs - the Book of Proverbs, in particular - are a bunch of hogwash. Then again, if that’s you, read on anyway. You might be surprised.
The Book of Proverbs
Slightly to the right of the physical center of the Bible is the Book of Proverbs. Many former students of mine know that the Book of Psalms is dead center. Proverbs immediately follows it.
I recently finished rereading Proverbs for the umpteenth time. Every time I reread a section of the Bible, I find something I’m almost certain wasn’t there before. Obviously, it was, but either I wasn’t paying attention then or circumstances changed so that something “new” jumped out at me during the latest reading.
This time through Proverbs I was amazed at how many individual proverbs referred to the business world, the world of work. It depends on how you count, but I found over 55 proverbs that you can directly apply to business and entrepreneurship.
There are topics (that I’ll discuss below) such as laziness, industriousness, planning, learning, honesty, and more. I found it most interesting that almost a third of the proverbs I found were about laziness. Maybe Solomon (and other proverb writers) had a significant problem with lazy people back then…?
There really is no best way to organize these proverbs for discussion. As I hinted at just above, I’m going to present them according to some general categories that most of them seem to fall into. After quoting a proverb, which is usually just one Bible verse, I’ll write a few words about it to give you some idea of why I included in this list of Provz for Treps. You will almost certainly find additional application of a given proverb to your own life, universe, and everything. I’ll try not to sound to preachy, but sometimes that just can’t be avoided.
Numbers at the beginning of each quotation are the chapter and verse(s) where you can find the proverb in the Book of Proverbs. All verses are taken from the New International Version (NIV) as found at BibleGateway.com.
The Provz
LAZINESS
6:6-8 - Laziness / Industriousness
Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
This section concentrates on laziness, but some of the proverbs speak of its opposite, industriousness, as well. The section following this concentrates more on that industriousness, so there will be some overlap.
You’ll see many references to the sluggard in the next several proverbs. Google defines a sluggard as a ne'er-do-well, layabout, do-nothing, idler, loafer, lounger, good-for-nothing, shirker, or underachiever, and informally as a slacker, slug, lazybones, bum, or couch potato.
The word “sluggard” isn’t one that you’ll commonly hear these days. Underachiever (especially if you’re still in school), slacker, bum, and couch potato are much more frequently used. Of those, I think it’s actually couch potato that gets the idea of a sluggard across the best.
Have you ever been called a couch potato? Probably not, if you’re a trep. So what’s this got to do with you? All of these sluggard proverbs are warnings. Don’t slack off, if you want to reach your goals.
Especially in this first proverb, you can also read some wisdom. There’s a positive to take away here too. Be like the ant. Work hard, even when no one is watching over your shoulder looking for something to put into your quarterly, semi-annual, or yearly review. If you do, you will be rewarded later - at harvest time.
6:9-11 - Laziness
How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
and poverty will come on you like a thief
and scarcity like an armed man.
Who doesn’t like an afternoon nap? Fortunately, that’s not the kind of sleep this proverb is talking about.
The sleep mentioned here is not the kind that restores energy so you can work some more. This is sleep just for the sake of sleep. For the couch potato, it is a way to get out of doing work or putting it off until tomorrow - which never comes.
So treps, go ahead and take that nap. You work hard enough each morning that you need a little revitalizing in the afternoon.
10:4 - Laziness / Industriousness
Lazy hands make for poverty,
but diligent hands bring wealth.
Lazy hands might still be active, but what they’re doing isn’t really productive. It’s not something that leads to the accomplishment of a goal.
Diligence implies careful thought and working towards that goal. Treps are all about goals most of the time. (Though there is a theory out there that says don’t bother with goal-setting. Whatever works for you is best.)
10:5 - Laziness / Industriousness
He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son,
but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.
Family relations aside, the point here is that timing can be important. You want to do your work when it makes the most sense. For entrepreneurs, this probably means that each day you should do what’s important to your business first. (The ONE Thing, if you like the theory proposed by Gary Keller.)
Depending on the focus of your business, there may also be seasonal or yearly time factors to consider. If you’re selling something that people are likely to give as presents, it might make sense to make a big push in November and December due to the Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas effects.
12:11 - Laziness / Industriousness
Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies have no sense.
Fantasies! Entrepreneurs should be well aware of those. There are plenty of get-rich-quick schemes out there trying to take you in. Stay far away!
13:4 - Laziness / Industriousness
A sluggard’s appetite is never filled,
but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.
His appetite is never filled because he doesn’t do anything to fill his stomach. As a diligent worker, what are your desires? Continue in your diligence to get what you want.
15:19 - Laziness
The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns,
but the path of the upright is a highway.
So being a sluggard can actually hurt. To avoid the pain, do your duty. Stick with the plan. Take the high road. It may not always be smooth sailing, but it’s going to be a lot better than the alternatives.
18:9 - Laziness
One who is slack in his work
is brother to one who destroys.
Doing nothing can amount to doing something eventually. Unfortunately, that something will be a bad something.
19:15 - Laziness
Laziness brings on deep sleep,
and the shiftless go hungry.
The lazy are equated with the shiftless. Being shiftless implies not moving, not even shifting in your seat a little. Theoretically, you could be lazy and still move about. A shiftless person won’t move at all.
An entrepreneur is always on the move out of necessity, either physically or mentally.
19:24 - Laziness
A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he will not even bring it back to his mouth!
Even if you put something good right in front of him, the sluggard won’t get any advantage from it.
The wise trep knows a good thing when he sees it, knows (or finds out) what to do with it, and - most importantly - does something with it.
20:4 - Laziness
Sluggards do not plow in season;
so at harvest time they look but find nothing.
Again, timing is important. Don’t put your ox in front of the cart (or something similar) comes to mind here. There will be more related to this in the planning section below.
20:13 - Laziness / Industriousness
Do not love sleep or you will grow poor;
stay awake and you will have food to spare.
Not only can you get what you want by your diligent activity, you can even have more than you need. When that happens, consider sharing your overabundance with the less fortunate. (More about this in discussing some of the proverbs below.)
21:25-26 - Laziness
The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,
because his hands refuse to work.
All day long he craves for more,
but the righteous give without sparing.
Whoa! Laziness can lead to death! Warnings are getting stronger and stronger.
As I just mentioned, when you’re not on the craving side of the fence, you can be among those generous folk who enjoy giving to those in need.
22:13 - Laziness
The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside!
I’ll be killed in the public square!”
Excuses, excuses! That’s all these are. The point is: Don’t make excuses. There will always be opportunities, even for the diligent, to come up with an excuse when something doesn’t go the way you want. The trick is not to actually state the excuse, either aloud or to yourself.
24:30-34 - Laziness
I went past the field of a sluggard,
past the vineyard of someone who has no sense;
thorns had come up everywhere,
the ground was covered with weeds,
and the stone wall was in ruins.
I applied my heart to what I observed
and learned a lesson from what I saw:
A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
and poverty will come on you like a thief
and scarcity like an armed man.
Again, here’s the the sleep factor, with a little expansion on the details of the situation. If your business - online or brick and mortar - looks unkempt, people are much less likely to visit it, even if the quality of the product is good.
Thieves and armed men use the element of surprise. Don’t wait around and be suddenly surprised by what happens to you and your business. Be on the alert for the bad that could happen and try to head it off at the pass.
26:14-16 - Laziness
As a door turns on its hinges,
so a sluggard turns on his bed.
A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
than seven people who answer discreetly.
The first sections of this proverb have been covered above, but the last part is new and interesting. It will tie in with the learning section below.
28:19 - Laziness / Industriousness
Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.
Once more, we see that abundance is possible for those who will work for it. And once more, we see the warning against chasing fantasies. Beware the “next shiny object” syndrome!
INDUSTRIOUSNESS
14:23 - Industriousness
All hard work brings a profit,
but mere talk leads only to poverty.
Take action! Ever heard that before? Sure you have. Taking even a tiny bit of action daily will get you far. If you haven’t started yet, stop talking about it and do it.
16:26 - Industriousness
The appetite of laborers works for them;
their hunger drives them on.
There has to be an inner drive that keeps an entrepreneur going. That “appetite” and “hunger” are not just the physical kind, though those can make a difference too. If you don’t have that drive, maybe you’re in the wrong business. You don’t have to pick a business that is your passion, but it can help if it is. (There are theories both for and against turning your passion into your business.)
21:5 - Industriousness / Planning
The plans of the diligent lead to profit
as surely as haste leads to poverty.
“Haste makes waste” is the related proverb (not from the Bible) that you’ve probably heard. Maybe you’ve even said it aloud yourself. This proverb says it leads to more than just waste, so take some time to plan each (business) move you make. Evaluate the pros and cons. Cons are okay as long as you know what to do with them. For that matter, you need to figure out what to do with the pros too.
21:17 - Industriousness
Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.
Pleasure, in and of itself, isn’t a bad thing. Just like money isn’t a bad thing. It’s the love of each that’s the bad thing. For a trep, your business and working on it are a big source of pleasure. If they’re not, why are you doing it?
In case you hadn’t already figured this out, two-line proverbs like most of these often state a truth in the first line and then restate it in the second. In this case, we can equate “pleasure” with “wine and olive oil”. It’s interesting that the writer would pick those two items as his source of pleasure. The time and the culture have a lot to do with that. What would we choose today to equate with the “pleasure” of the first line? I’ll let you fill in that blank yourself, because it depends a lot on your time (age) and culture (setting).
24:27 - Industriousness / Order
Put your outdoor work in order
and get your fields ready;
after that, build your house.
Much like the timing proverbs above, this one says it makes sense to do things in the proper (or best) order. “Make hay while the sun shines.” I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that many people today don’t know what that means.
Farmers don’t work in their hay (alfalfa) fields when it’s raining. They wait until the crop is dry to cut it. Then they wait some more until the sun has dried it out. They probably will rake it, turning it over, so that what was not exposed to the sun can be before they bale it.
So again, the point is to do tasks in the right order. Odds are that your business doesn’t involve fields and crops, but you still have plenty of small tasks that will lead to accomplishing your goals if done one after the other in order.
PLANNING
27:23-24 - Planning / Learning / Wisdom
Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
give careful attention to your herds;
for riches do not endure forever,
and a crown is not secure for all generations.
It’s probably obvious, but I’ll tell you anyway: This proverb is not about animals. That’s just what the original audience was familiar with. You should substitute “flocks” and “herds” with whatever your business is about - wherever your wealth comes from, whatever you making a living doing.
You should learn your business inside and out. You might have someone else take care of some of its details, but you are the one responsible for knowing everything you can about it. You can’t fix a part that needs fixing if you don’t even know it exists.
14:4 - Planning / Assistance
Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty,
but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests.
I think the gist of this proverb is clearer if you translate “clean” instead of “empty” for the condition of the manger. The point is that you, the farmer or herdsman, don’t have to fuss over a manger that isn’t being used when you have no oxen. But not having oxen is a bad thing in the long run because, if you did have them, you could have a much bigger harvest.
For the farmer, oxen are tools - tools you have to feed, but still tools. They are the precursors of modern tractors. Entrepreneurs need good tools as well. Maybe not oxen or tractors, but tools just the same. Oxen were (are) good tools and may have been relatively expensive. Sometimes you have to make a relatively expensive investment in your business to reap a big harvest later.
Do it.
15:22 - Planning / Learning
Plans fail for lack of counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed.
When making plans, it’s good to check with someone else about them to see if they make sense. If you can find someone who’s been through the same, or nearly the same, process, so much the better. And as the proverb says, finding more than one such person should be your goal at this stage. Probably some of those same people can continue to be your advisers even after the planning is done.
16:3 - Planning / Trust in God
Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and he will establish your plans.
See below.
16:9 - Planning / Trust in God
In their hearts humans plan their course,
but the Lord establishes their steps.
The two proverbs above are similar enough that I’ll tackle them as one.
God is in control, yes, but that doesn’t mean you’re not involved in planning your own future. You make the plans. If he thinks they’re good, you’re done. If he thinks changes are in order, he’ll let you know, one way or another.
You probably should start with long-range plans and goals and then work from those distant future ideas toward present-day immediate tasks. God will guide your planning and will set up, “establish”, the steps for you to follow.
20:18 - Planning
Plans are established by seeking advice;
so if you wage war, obtain guidance.
Hopefully none of us are actively planning a real war. We can extrapolate a little here and think of “waging war” with competitors in our niche. Use the planning tools available to you and the people on your side to honestly (see below) win the battle as often as possible.
21:20 - Planning / Wisdom
The wise store up choice food and olive oil,
but fools gulp theirs down.
Plan for the future. Sure, you need to reinvest some of your profits in your business, but keep some set aside for the proverbial rainy day too. Don’t gobble it all up here and now so you don’t have anything left for the there and then.
LEARNING
12:15 - Learning
The way of fools seems right to them,
but the wise listen to advice.
Of course the fool’s way seems right! He never asks anyone else for a second opinion. Even if you never formally or legally partner with anyone else, you’ll still need advice from someone who has a better clue about what you’re doing than you do. Don’t be so foolish as to ignore their words of wisdom.
13:16 - Learning
All who are prudent act with knowledge,
but fools expose their folly.
Virtually all knowledge comes from outside yourself. Pay the price - money, time, experience - to get the knowledge you need to build your own business. This is especially pertinent if you’re not the first to try whatever it is you’re trying. Don’t be foolish trying to reinvent the wheel.
13:20 - Learning
Walk with the wise and become wise,
for a companion of fools suffers harm.
Walking with the wise has been called many other similar things. It’s the group of people that you choose to surround yourself with that make you who you are. Be safe and find a several trustworthy people with at least as much, and preferably more, wisdom than you have.
14:15 - Learning
The simple believe anything,
but the prudent give thought to their steps.
There are ideas about how to do virtually everything out there. Few of them actually work as advertised. Beware the next shiny object syndrome. Be prudent and find out if that training course is worth it before taking steps to pay for it.
14:29 - Learning / Patience
Whoever is patient has great understanding,
but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.
If patience is a virtue, why do we so often act impatiently? Being patient gives you time for greater understanding of your business and how best to run and grow it.
No really good businesses are built quickly. Even those that seem like they were at first glance turn out not to have been when you dig deeper into their histories. Don’t expect yours to make you an instant success then either. In many, if not most, cases we are talking years of work before a payoff comes.
15:14 - Learning
The discerning heart seeks knowledge,
but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.
Don’t expect the knowledge you need to fall into your lap. You will need to do some active searching to discover it. Having that good group of people around you (mentioned above) can help a lot in your search.
16:20 - Learning
Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,
and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.
Don’t let learning go in one ear and out the other. “Internalize” is probably the modern word for this process. Let it sink in. If you don’t “get it” the first time around, read it or listen to it again and again until you do.
19:20 - Learning
Listen to advice and accept discipline,
and at the end you will be counted among the wise.
Before you can listen to advice, you have to be close enough to someone who can give it. Find that person, or those persons, and see what they have to offer concerning your plans and execution of them. If they need to correct a mistake you’ve made or are about to make, accept it, change it, and keep on moving toward your goals.
22:29 - Learning
Do you see someone skilled in their work?
They will serve before kings;
they will not serve before officials of low rank.
You get skilled at your job by learning about it and practicing it. There probably won’t be the opportunity to literally serve before a king in your future, but you might rise high in the ranks among those in your field or niche. If you want to achieve guru or authority status, you can do it by getting the skills.
24:3-4 - Learning / Wisdom
By wisdom a house is built,
and through understanding it is established;
through knowledge its rooms are filled
with rare and beautiful treasures.
Unless you’re in home construction, consider the house building mentioned in this proverb as a metaphor for whatever your field or niche is.
Get a thorough understanding of your area so you can call it your area of expertise. Little by little you will fill that area with all kinds of gems that to others seem rare and beautiful - something they want from you and that you can share with them.
27:17 - Learning
As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.
Again, having someone who can advise you is a good thing. And it’s a two-way street. You (sometimes without even knowing it) can help your adviser too. Both of you will be better off because of the relationship.
HONESTY
11:1 - Honesty
The Lord detests dishonest scales,
but accurate weights find favor with him.
Most of us probably don’t use scales in business on a regular basis other than when it comes to shipping goods. Don’t short your mail or parcel carrier by claiming an item weighs less than it really does.
This proverb also refers to being honest in your personal and business dealings in general. There are plenty of dishonest people out there. Don’t be one of them.
11:3 - Honesty / Integrity
The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.
If you have integrity, you will be known for it. If you don’t have it, you’ll be known for that too. Since being unfaithful can destroy you, why would you choose that path?
13:11 - Honesty / Patience
Dishonest money dwindles away,
but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.
Dishonest gains tend to come in big bunches which may be why some people go after them. It takes patience to grow your business little by little and honestly, but in the end it will be worth the wait.
17:20 - Honesty
One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper;
one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.
Crime never pays. Sure, it might seem like it does for a while, but in the long run (and in eternity) it just doesn’t. I think most entrepreneurs don’t have the problem of dealing with corruption, deceit, lying, and so on. Even so, it can be tempting to cheat just a little here or there. Don’t do it, if you want to stay out of trouble.
20:10 - Honesty
Differing weights and differing measures—
the Lord detests them both.
Again, the weights used on scales are mentioned here. In addition, differing measures are warned against. God detests them both, and other people aren’t usually too pleased when they discover them either. Physical measurements of all kinds are included, but I think we can also include reporting statistics, such as those used to pay taxes or profits and losses shown to shareholders.
20:17 - Honesty
Food gained by fraud tastes sweet,
but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel.
Here again is the short term versus long term idea. All kinds of dishonesty, here fraud in particular, must be avoided.
20:23 - Honesty
The Lord detests differing weights,
and dishonest scales do not please him.
Bad weights and scales must have been a big problem back in the day. Maybe they actually are today too more than we realize. Don’t contribute to the problem.
22:1 - Honesty / Integrity
A good name is more desirable than great riches;
to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
Wow! I wonder if you ever considered anything like this proverb. As an entrepreneur or business owner, did you ever think your good name was worth more than your whole net worth?
Maybe you did. If so, good on you.
The fact is that it is. Even if through some misfortune you should lose your business or your niche fades away leaving you with little to nothing, if you have been honest all along the way, people will still remember that about you. Climbing back into another business or entrepreneurial endeavor shouldn’t be impossible for you. It might even prove easier than you thought as long as you have that good name.
22:28 - Honesty
Do not move an ancient boundary stone
set up by your ancestors.
I’ve never researched this in detail, but as far as I know, the ancients used to set up large stones - rocks - at least at the corners of their property to mark the boundaries and prevent others from infringing on what was rightfully theirs. This was obviously before surveyors and GPS came along.
Moving such a stone was obviously a rather dastardly deed to do. Assuming it was done by a neighbor, not only would it decrease the size of your property, but it would increase the size of his.
What’s the equivalent today? It’s anything that unfairly shrinks your business and grows a competitor’s. Note that I said, “unfairly”. If a competitor makes gains against you by good business practices, you have nothing to complain about. It when someone somehow cheats at it that there’s a problem.
One more time: Don’t be the cheater.
CARING
11:24-26 - Caring / Generosity
One person gives freely, yet gains even more;
another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
A generous person will prosper;
whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
People curse the one who hoards grain,
but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell.
Some people would call this “karma”. You could also call it “paying it forward”. In any case, it does pay you eventually to be generous, even when (or maybe especially when) you don’t have much to share. (See the story in the Bible of the widow’s offering either at the end of Mark, chapter 12, or the beginning of Luke, chapter 21, for an example of giving when you have only a tiny amount.)
12:10 - Caring / Kindness
The righteous care for the needs of their animals,
but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.
Taking care of your “tools” and the people you work with and get advice from is wise. Do this always so you’re never counted among the “wicked”.
Part of the reason for being kind is that, should you ever be the one in need, others will gladly come to your aid, just as you have helped them in the past.
HUMILITY
22:4 - Humility / Trust in God
Humility is the fear of the Lord;
its wages are riches and honor and life.
This little gem just seems to be in a category all by itself. It’s sort of related to some of the others in this list, but I thought it was strong enough to stand on its own.
There is another proverb that says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 9:10) Therefore, humility is the beginning of wisdom. It is wise to stay humble even as you get better at whatever it is that you do in your entrepreneurial business. Riches, honor, and life are all good things when used and lived with wisely.
GREED
23:4 - Greed
Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
do not trust your own cleverness.
Take a vacation once in a while.
Even though you may be clever, don’t try to do it all by yourself. Let others take care of parts of your business.
28:20 - Greed
A faithful person will be richly blessed,
but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.
Wait! Aren’t we all “eager to get rich”? Yes, to a point. This second part of this proverb is getting at being rich for the sake of being rich. The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. (1 Timothy, chapter 6, in the Bible)
Being rich isn’t automatically a bad thing. Many faithful people have become rich, so be faithful.
28:22 - Greed
The stingy are eager to get rich
and are unaware that poverty awaits them.
This proverb fits will with the ones above about being generous and caring. You don’t want to keep it all to yourself. If you do, what’s the point?
28:25 - Greed
The greedy stir up conflict,
but those who trust in the Lord will prosper.
Being greedy can even cause problems between yourself and others. When they learn that you are rich but are not willing to share anything, jealousy and hatred won’t be far away.
Finally, as many of these proverbs have stated or hinted at, trust in God above all and you will succeed. That’s a promise.
The Conclusion of the Matter
I hope you are more industrious, eager to plan and learn, willing to be honest, caring, and humble after reading these proverbs. If my commentary about them helped, fine. It’s the proverbs themselves that will make a difference in you.
Go forth in peace. Live in harmony with one another. Serve God and other people with gladness.
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