Proverbs 12:24-26

New Living Translation

²⁴Work hard and become a leader;
be lazy and become a slave.

²⁵Worry weighs a person down;
an encouraging word cheers a person up.

²⁶The godly give good advice to their friends;^[a]
the wicked lead them astray.

12:26 Or The godly are cautious in friendship; or The godly are freed from evil. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.

Proverbs 12:24-26

New International Version

²⁴Diligent hands will rule,
but laziness ends in forced labor.^(A)

²⁵Anxiety weighs down the heart,^(B)
but a kind word cheers it up.

²⁶The righteous choose their friends carefully,
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.^(C)

New Living Translation (NLT)

New International Version (NIV)