idle hands are the devil's workshop

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This proverb is thought by some to originate from the Bible, the book of Proverbs chapter 16 verse 27 (Proverbs 16:27). Yet this is probably a misreading driven by an application of Protestant theological assumptions. The King James version of the verse refers only to ungodliness: An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire. Only The Living Bible of 1971 injects the idea of idleness into its translation: Idle hands are the devil’s workshop; idle lips are his mouthpiece. (TLB also adds the literal translation: A worthless man devises mischief; and in his lips there is a scorching fire.) Proverbs 16:27 may have inspired St. Jerome to write in the late 4th century: fac et aliquid operis, ut semper te diabolus inveniat occupatum, or “engage in some occupation, so that the devil may always find you busy.” This was later repeated by Chaucer in the Canterbury Tales, which was probably the source of its popularity.

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Danish: lediggang er roden til alt ondt — One who is idle will likely come to do evil
• Dutch: luiheid is des duivels oorkussen — One who is idle will likely come to do evil
• Finnish: joutilaat aivot ovat paholaisen työpaja — One who is idle will likely come to do evil
• French: l'oisiveté est la mère de tous les vices — One who is idle will likely come to do evil
• German: Müßiggang ist aller Laster Anfang — One who is idle will likely come to do evil
• Greek: αργία μητήρ πάσης κακίας (argía mitír pásis kakías) — One who is idle will likely come to do evil
• Greek: δουλειά δεν είχε ο διάβολος, γαμούσε τα παιδιά του (douleiá den eíche o diávolos, gamoúse ta paidiá tou) — One who is idle will likely come to do evil
• Greek: δουλειά δεν είχε ο διάβολος και έπνιγε τα παιδιά του (douleiá den eíche o diávolos kai épnige ta paidiá tou) — One who is idle will likely come to do evil
• Hindi: ख़ाली दिमाग़ शैतान का घर (xālī dimāġ śaitān kā ghar) — One who is idle will likely come to do evil
• Irish: cuireann an fear díomhaoin cathú ar an diabhal — One who is idle will likely come to do evil
• Italian: l'ozio è il padre dei vizi — One who is idle will likely come to do evil
• Polish: próżność doprowadza do zła — One who is idle will likely come to do evil
• Portuguese: mente vazia, oficina do diabo. — One who is idle will likely come to do evil
• Spanish: cuando el diablo no tiene qué hacer, mata moscas con el rabo — One who is idle will likely come to do evil
• Vietnamese: nhàn cư vi bất thiện — One who is idle will likely come to do evil