Read Proverbs 12:24  It seems like we have had many verses about wise people and foolish people.  But that is what fathers are constantly teaching their children:  how to be wise and how not to be foolish.  Actually, the foolish and lazy way is much easier than the wise and diligent way.  But the easiest way does not lead to success.  It leads to poverty and suffering.  Our verse uses other phrases for the diligent person and for the slothful person:  Our verse says that the diligent shall bear rule.  That means that when someone takes care of details and does a good job with things, they will be made the ruler.  They will rule over others.  But the end of our verse says that the slothful person will be under tribute.  In Solomon’s day, when a king and his army beat another country, they made them pay taxes called tribute.  So the losers were said to be put under tribute – they had to pay money to the winners.  Since a lazy person would not prepare for war, let alone fight against an enemy, they would soon be paying taxes to a king who was diligent and did prepare for war.  The lazy person enjoyed sitting around doing nothing.  He didn’t train for war.  He didn’t take the time to make bows and arrows and spears and shields.  So he was not ready to defend his family and his country against an enemy.  The slothful man, his whole family, and his whole country suffered because of his lack of preparation.  No one likes to fight a war, but if you must, at least be ready to fight the war and to win the war.  Otherwise, be ready to pay all of your money out to the ones who are ready to fight the war.