Proverbs 16:26 (KJV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Proverbs 16:26 He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.

Proverbs 16:27 An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.

Proverbs 16:28 A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "laboureth", "himself", "mouth", and "craveth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "laboureth" and "himself", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 25's "There is a way that seemeth right..." into verse 27's "An ungodly man diggeth up evil and...", so "laboureth" and "himself" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "laboureth" and "himself" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.