God helps those who help themselves

English

Alternative forms

God helps them that help themselves
heaven helps those who help themselves
the Lord helps those who help themselves

Etymology

First appearing in English (in this form) in 1698, in Algernon Sidney's Discourses Concerning Government.[1] Translation of a maxim found in Ancient Greek and Roman literature; equivalent proverbs are found in many languages, such as Hungarian and Italian.

Proverb

God helps those who help themselves

Good fortune or providential aid comes to those who make an effort to accomplish things.

Translations

good fortune comes to those who make an effort to accomplish things

Arabic: اعقِلْها وتَوكَّلْ‎
Chinese:
Mandarin: 天道酬勤 (zh) (tiāndào chóuqín), 自助者天助 (zìzhùzhě tiānzhù)
Czech: pomoz si sám a Bůh ti pomůže
Finnish: Jumala auttaa niitä, jotka auttavat itse itseään
French: aide-toi, le ciel t'aidera (fr)
German: hilf dir selbst, dann hilft dir Gott
Hungarian: segíts magadon, s az Isten is megsegít (hu)
Italian: aiutati che Dio t'aiuta, aiutati che il ciel t'aiuta
Japanese: 天は自ら助ける者を助く (ten wa mizukara tasukeru mono o tasuku)
Korean: 자구다복(自求多福) (jagudabok), 하늘은 스스로 돕는 자를 돕는다 (ko) (haneur-eun seuseuro domneun ja-reul domneunda)
Portuguese: Deus ajuda quem se ajuda
Romanian: Dumnezeu te ajută, dacă te ajuți singur; ajută-te și Dumnezeu te va ajuta.
Russian: на бо́га наде́йся, а сам не плоша́й (na bóga nadéjsja, a sam ne plošáj)
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: ко се сам чува и Бог га чува
Roman: ko se sam čuva i Bog ga čuva
Spanish: ayúdate que Dios te ayudará, a Dios rogando y con el mazo dando (es)
Swedish: hjälp dig själv så hjälper dig gud
Thai: ตนเป็นที่พึ่งแห่งตน

References

Algernon Sidney (1698), chapter 2, in Discourses Concerning Government, volume 1, section 23, page 298: “God helps thoſe who help themſelves; and men are by ſeveral reaſons […] induced to ſuccour an induſtrious and brave people: […]”