Proverbs 28:19
New International Version
Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.

New Living Translation
A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies ends up in poverty.

English Standard Version
Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.

Berean Standard Bible
The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

King James Bible
He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.

New King James Version
He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, But he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough!

New American Standard Bible
One who works his land will have plenty of food, But one who follows empty pursuits will have plenty of poverty.

NASB 1995
He who tills his land will have plenty of food, But he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty.

NASB 1977
He who tills his land will have plenty of food, But he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty.

Legacy Standard Bible
He who cultivates his ground will be satisfied with food, But he who pursues empty things will be satisfied with poverty.

Amplified Bible
He who cultivates his land will have plenty of bread, But he who follows worthless people and frivolous pursuits will have plenty of poverty.

Christian Standard Bible
The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

American Standard Version
He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread; But he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.

Contemporary English Version
Work hard, and you will have a lot of food; waste time, and you will have a lot of trouble.

English Revised Version
He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Whoever works his land will have plenty to eat. Whoever chases unrealistic dreams will have plenty of nothing.

Good News Translation
A hard-working farmer has plenty to eat. People who waste time will always be poor.

International Standard Version
Whoever works his farmland will have abundant food, but whoever chases fantasies will become very poor.

Majority Standard Bible
The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

NET Bible
The one who works his land will be satisfied with food, but whoever chases daydreams will have his fill of poverty.

New Heart English Bible
One who works his land will have an abundance of food; but one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

Webster's Bible Translation
He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.

World English Bible
One who works his land will have an abundance of food; but one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Whoever is tilling his ground is satisfied [with] bread, "" And whoever is pursuing vanity, "" Is filled [with] poverty.

Young's Literal Translation
Whoso is tilling his ground is satisfied with bread, And whoso is pursuing vanity, Is filled with poverty.

Smith's Literal Translation
He working his land shall be filled with bread: and he pursuing the vain shall be filled with poverty.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He that tilleth his ground, shall be filled with bread: but he that followeth idleness shall be filled with poverty.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Whoever works his land shall be satisfied with bread. But whoever pursues leisure will be filled with need.

New American Bible
Those who cultivate their land will have plenty of food, but those who engage in idle pursuits will have plenty of want.

New Revised Standard Version
Anyone who tills the land will have plenty of bread, but one who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
He who tills the land shall have abundance of bread; but he who follows after vain pursuits shall have plenty of poverty.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
He that cultivates the soil will be satisfied with bread and he that runs after worthlessness will be filled with poverty.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
He that tilleth his ground shall have plenty of bread; But he that followeth after vain things shall have poverty enough.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
He that tills his own land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that follows idleness shall have plenty of poverty.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Boldness of the Righteous
18He who walks with integrity will be kept safe, but whoever is perverse in his ways will suddenly fall. 19The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty. 20A faithful man will abound with blessings, but one eager to be rich will not go unpunished.…

Cross References
Proverbs 12:11
The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies lacks judgment.

Proverbs 13:23
Abundant food is in the fallow ground of the poor, but without justice it is swept away.

Proverbs 20:13
Do not love sleep, or you will grow poor; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of food.

Proverbs 21:5
The plans of the diligent bring plenty, as surely as haste leads to poverty.

Proverbs 24:30-34
I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment. / Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down. / I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction: ...

Genesis 3:19
By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground—because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”

Genesis 2:15
Then the LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it.

Ecclesiastes 10:18
Through laziness the roof caves in, and in the hands of the idle, the house leaks.

Isaiah 55:2
Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods.

Jeremiah 17:11
Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is the man who makes a fortune unjustly. In the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will be the fool.”

Matthew 25:14-30
For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions. / To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent—each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey. / The servant who had received the five talents went at once and put them to work and gained five more. ...

Luke 12:16-21
Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance. / So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’ / Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones, and there I will store up all my grain and my goods. ...

Luke 15:13-14
After a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living. / After he had spent all he had, a severe famine swept through that country, and he began to be in need.

Luke 16:10-12
Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. / So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches? / And if you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own?

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
and to aspire to live quietly, to attend to your own matters, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you. / Then you will behave properly toward outsiders, without being dependent on anyone.


Treasury of Scripture

He that tills his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that follows after vain persons shall have poverty enough.

that tilleth

Proverbs 12:11
He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding.

Proverbs 14:4
Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

Proverbs 27:23-27
Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds…

but

Proverbs 13:20
He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

Proverbs 23:20,21
Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: …

Judges 9:4
And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.

Jump to Previous
Abundance Bread Chases Empty Enough Fantasies Fill Filled Followeth Follows Food Full Goes Good-For-Nothing Ground Measure Persons Plenty Ploughing Poor Poverty Pursuing Pursuits Satisfied Tilleth Tilling Tills Vain Vanity Works Worthless
Jump to Next
Abundance Bread Chases Empty Enough Fantasies Fill Filled Followeth Follows Food Full Goes Good-For-Nothing Ground Measure Persons Plenty Ploughing Poor Poverty Pursuing Pursuits Satisfied Tilleth Tilling Tills Vain Vanity Works Worthless
Proverbs 28
1. general observations of impiety and integrity














The one who works his land will have plenty of food
This phrase emphasizes the value of diligent labor and the blessings that come from it. In the agrarian society of ancient Israel, working the land was a common occupation, and it required consistent effort and dedication. The principle here is that hard work leads to provision and sustenance. This is echoed in Genesis 3:19, where God tells Adam that he will eat bread by the sweat of his brow. The idea of reaping what one sows is a recurring theme in Scripture, as seen in Galatians 6:7-9, which encourages believers not to grow weary in doing good, for in due season they will reap a harvest if they do not give up. The land in biblical times was also seen as a gift from God, a source of blessing and sustenance, as reflected in Deuteronomy 8:7-9, where the Promised Land is described as a place of abundance.

but whoever chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty
This part of the verse contrasts the diligent worker with someone who pursues unrealistic or impractical goals. The term "fantasies" can refer to schemes or pursuits that are not grounded in reality or wisdom. In the cultural context of ancient Israel, this could include get-rich-quick schemes or neglecting one's responsibilities in favor of idle dreams. The warning here is that such pursuits lead to poverty, both materially and spiritually. This is consistent with the biblical theme that wisdom and prudence lead to prosperity, while folly leads to ruin, as seen in Proverbs 21:5, which states that the plans of the diligent lead to profit, but haste leads to poverty. The New Testament also warns against the love of money and the pursuit of wealth without regard for God's principles, as seen in 1 Timothy 6:9-10, which cautions that those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Diligent Worker
This person represents those who are committed to their responsibilities and work hard to cultivate what they have been given. In the context of ancient Israel, this would be a farmer or landowner who diligently tends to their land.

2. The Dreamer
This individual symbolizes those who neglect their responsibilities in pursuit of unrealistic or impractical goals, often leading to negative consequences such as poverty.

3. The Land
In ancient agrarian societies, land was a primary source of sustenance and wealth. It represents the resources and opportunities God provides to each person.

4. Poverty
A state of lacking material wealth, often resulting from poor choices or neglect of responsibilities. In the biblical context, it can also imply spiritual poverty.

5. Plenty of Food
This signifies the reward and provision that come from diligent work and responsible stewardship of one's resources.
Teaching Points
The Value of Diligence
Diligence in our work is a biblical principle that leads to provision and blessing. We are called to be faithful stewards of the resources and opportunities God has given us.

The Danger of Chasing Fantasies
Pursuing unrealistic dreams or neglecting responsibilities can lead to poverty and lack. It is important to discern God's will and focus on practical, God-honoring goals.

Stewardship of Resources
God has entrusted each of us with resources, whether material, spiritual, or relational. We must manage these wisely and work diligently to cultivate them.

Spiritual Implications
While the verse speaks to physical provision, it also has spiritual implications. Just as we must work diligently in our earthly tasks, we must also be diligent in our spiritual growth and relationship with God.

Contentment and Trust in God
Trusting in God's provision and being content with what we have is crucial. While we work diligently, we must also rely on God to bless our efforts and provide for our needs.(19) He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread.--The curse of Genesis 3:17-19 being, in God's mercy, turned into a blessing.

Verse 19. - A variation of Proverbs 12:11. Shall have poverty enough. The new clause marks the antithesis more clearly than that above.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The one who works
עֹבֵ֣ד (‘ō·ḇêḏ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5647: To work, to serve, till, enslave

his land
אַ֭דְמָתוֹ (’aḏ·mā·ṯōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 127: Ground, land

will have plenty of
יִֽשְׂבַּֽע־ (yiś·ba‘-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7646: To be sated, satisfied or surfeited

food,
לָ֑חֶם (lā·ḥem)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain

but whoever chases
וּמְרַדֵּ֥ף (ū·mə·rad·dêp̄)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7291: To pursue, chase, persecute

fantasies
רֵ֝קִ֗ים (rê·qîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 7386: Empty, worthless

will have his fill
יִֽשְׂבַּֽע־ (yiś·ba‘-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7646: To be sated, satisfied or surfeited

of poverty.
רִֽישׁ׃ (rîš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7389: Poverty


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 28:19 One who works his land will have (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 28:18
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