“Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself. When you glance at wealth, it disappears, for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle to the sky.”
In plain words: Don't run yourself into the ground trying to get rich. Be wise enough to stop, because money can vanish quickly, like a bird flying away.
What Proverbs 23:4-5 means.
Don’t wear yourself out chasing riches. Wealth can sprout wings and fly away like an eagle.
Common questions about Proverbs 23:4-5
Does this mean working hard or having money is wrong?
No. The Bible praises hard work and honest pay. Proverbs says careful work brings good things [[Proverbs 10:4]]. This verse warns about something different: wearing yourself out because getting rich has become your whole goal. When money becomes the boss of your life, it can take your sleep, your family time and your peace. Work is good. Being ruled by it is the trap. A wise person works well and also knows when to stop.
Apply it today: Pick a time to stop work today and keep to it.
Why does the verse say money flies away like an eagle?
An eagle is fast and strong, and once it lifts off, you cannot catch it. The writer says money can be like that. A job can end. Prices can rise. Sickness can drain savings. Even if you keep your money all your life, you cannot take it with you. That makes money a shaky thing to build your whole life on. Jesus said to store up treasure that lasts with God, because your heart follows your treasure [[Matthew 6:19-21]].
Apply it today: Write down three good things in your life that money could never replace.
If I shouldn't chase riches, what should I chase instead?
Jesus tells us to look first for God's kingdom, which means His way of living and His rule, and He says God knows what we need [[Matthew 6:33]]. That is not a trick for getting rich. It is an invitation to build life on what lasts: knowing God, loving people, doing honest work and taking real rest. The Bible even says rest is a gift from God, and that we do not have to grind ourselves down to be okay [[Psalm 127:2]].
Apply it today: Spend ten quiet minutes resting or praying before you start your work today.
Ask anything about it.
Every question gets a clear answer in seconds, and a way to live it today.
Live it today.
Rest one evening this week without working on money at all. Trust God with it.
Pray it back.
Lord, I won’t wear myself out chasing what can fly away. My trust is in You.
Carry it all day.
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One verse every morning at 7 a.m. your time. Leave any time.