Proverbs 16:26

He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.

Cross-reference

In Proverbs 14:23, hard work brings profit, reinforcing the principle that labor driven by need produces results.

In Ecclesiastes 6:7, the same idea appears: toil is for the mouth, but appetite remains unsatisfied.

2 Thessalonians 3:10 directly applies this principle: 'If anyone will not work, let him not eat'—making appetite the consequence for idleness.

Ecclesiastes 2:22 questions the profit of toil, contrasting with the positive motivation of appetite in Proverbs 16:26.