And he said to the man, "You listened to your wife and ate the fruit which I told you not to eat. Because of what you have done, the ground will be under a curse. You will have to work hard all your life to make it produce enough food for you.

You will have to work hard and sweat to make the soil produce anything, until you go back to the soil from which you were formed. You were made from soil, and you will become soil again."

then instead of wheat and barley, may weeds and thistles grow. The words of Job are ended.

The LORD says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, "Plow up your unplowed fields; do not plant your seeds among thorns.

Some of the seed fell among thorn bushes, which grew up and choked the plants.

The seeds that fell among thorn bushes stand for those who hear the message; but the worries about this life and the love for riches choke the message, and they don't bear fruit.

But if it grows thorns and weeds, it is worth nothing; it is in danger of being cursed by God and will be destroyed by fire.

Obey the LORD and you will live a long life, content and safe from harm.

A farmer too lazy to plow his fields at the right time will have nothing to harvest.

Lazy people stay at home; they say a lion might get them if they go outside.

Drunkards and gluttons will be reduced to poverty. If all you do is eat and sleep, you will soon be wearing rags.

When you are too lazy to repair your roof, it will leak, and the house will fall in.