'Work' in the Bible

By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.

Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

Now he called his name Noah, saying, “This one will give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands arising from the ground which the Lord has cursed.”

Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside.

But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labors!”

Let the labor be heavier on the men, and let them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words.”

The taskmasters pressed them, saying, “Complete your work quota, your daily amount, just as when you had straw.”

So go now and work; for you will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the quota of bricks.”

“When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Work a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’”

On the first day you shall have a holy assembly, and another holy assembly on the seventh day; no work at all shall be done on them, except what must be eaten by every person, that alone may be prepared by you.

then teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do.

Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you.

“Six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you shall cease from labor so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave, as well as your stranger, may refresh themselves.

You shall make two cherubim of gold, make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat.

“Then you shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand and its base and its shaft are to be made of hammered work; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers shall be of one piece with it.

Their bulbs and their branches shall be of one piece with it; all of it shall be one piece of hammered work of pure gold.

“Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue and purple and scarlet material; you shall make them with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman.

“You shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen; it shall be made with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman.

“You shall make a screen for the doorway of the tent of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen, the work of a weaver.

For the gate of the court there shall be a screen of twenty cubits, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen, the work of a weaver, with their four pillars and their four sockets.

These are the garments which they shall make: a breastpiece and an ephod and a robe and a tunic of checkered work, a turban and a sash, and they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister as priest to Me.

“They shall also make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen, the work of the skillful workman.

and two chains of pure gold; you shall make them of twisted cordage work, and you shall put the corded chains on the filigree settings.

“You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, the work of a skillful workman; like the work of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen you shall make it.

You shall make on the breastpiece chains of twisted cordage work in pure gold.

There shall be an opening at its top in the middle of it; around its opening there shall be a binding of woven work, like the opening of a coat of mail, so that it will not be torn.

“You shall weave the tunic of checkered work of fine linen, and shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash, the work of a weaver.

You shall make of these a holy anointing oil, a perfume mixture, the work of a perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil.

With it you shall make incense, a perfume, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, and holy.

to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze,

and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship.

Therefore you are to observe the sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people.

For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall surely be put to death.

The tablets were God’s work, and the writing was God’s writing engraved on the tablets.

“You shall work six days, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during plowing time and harvest you shall rest.

“For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy day, a sabbath of complete rest to the Lord; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death.

Everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit moved him came and brought the Lord’s contribution for the work of the tent of meeting and for all its service and for the holy garments.

Everyone who could make a contribution of silver and bronze brought the Lord’s contribution; and every man who had in his possession acacia wood for any work of the service brought it.

The Israelites, all the men and women, whose heart moved them to bring material for all the work, which the Lord had commanded through Moses to be done, brought a freewill offering to the Lord.

and in the cutting of stones for settings and in the carving of wood, so as to perform in every inventive work.

He has filled them with skill to perform every work of an engraver and of a designer and of an embroiderer, in blue and in purple and in scarlet material, and in fine linen, and of a weaver, as performers of every work and makers of designs.

“Now Bezalel and Oholiab, and every skillful person in whom the Lord has put skill and understanding to know how to perform all the work in the construction of the sanctuary, shall perform in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.”

Then Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every skillful person in whom the Lord had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him, to come to the work to perform it.

They received from Moses all the contributions which the sons of Israel had brought to perform the work in the construction of the sanctuary. And they still continued bringing to him freewill offerings every morning.

And all the skillful men who were performing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work which he was performing,

and they said to Moses, “The people are bringing much more than enough for the construction work which the Lord commanded us to perform.”

So Moses issued a command, and a proclamation was circulated throughout the camp, saying, “Let no man or woman any longer perform work for the contributions of the sanctuary.” Thus the people were restrained from bringing any more.

For the material they had was sufficient and more than enough for all the work, to perform it.

All the skillful men among those who were performing the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine twisted linen and blue and purple and scarlet material, with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman, Bezalel made them.

Moreover, he made the veil of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen; he made it with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman.

He made a screen for the doorway of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen, the work of a weaver;

He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat;

Then he made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work, its base and its shaft; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers were of one piece with it.

Their bulbs and their branches were of one piece with it; the whole of it was a single hammered work of pure gold.

And he made the holy anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense of spices, the work of a perfumer.

The screen of the gate of the court was the work of the weaver, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. And the length was twenty cubits and the height was five cubits, corresponding to the hangings of the court.

All the gold that was used for the work, in all the work of the sanctuary, even the gold of the wave offering, was 29 talents and 730 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.

Then they hammered out gold sheets and cut them into threads to be woven in with the blue and the purple and the scarlet material, and the fine linen, the work of a skillful workman.

He made the breastpiece, the work of a skillful workman, like the workmanship of the ephod: of gold and of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen.

They made on the breastpiece chains like cords, of twisted cordage work in pure gold.

Then he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue;

and the sash of fine twisted linen, and blue and purple and scarlet material, the work of the weaver, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was completed; and the sons of Israel did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses; so they did.

So the sons of Israel did all the work according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses.

And Moses examined all the work and behold, they had done it; just as the Lord had commanded, this they had done. So Moses blessed them.

He erected the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the veil for the gateway of the court. Thus Moses finished the work.

“This shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls and not do any work, whether the native, or the alien who sojourns among you;

‘For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a sabbath to the Lord in all your dwellings.

On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work.

But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work.’”

On this same day you shall make a proclamation as well; you are to have a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work. It is to be a perpetual statute in all your dwelling places throughout your generations.

You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord.’”

You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the Lord your God.

As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.

You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.

On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work of any kind.

For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the Lord; it is an assembly. You shall do no laborious work.

from thirty years and upward, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tent of meeting.

This is the work of the descendants of Kohath in the tent of meeting, concerning the most holy things.

But do this to them that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy objects: Aaron and his sons shall go in and assign each of them to his work and to his load;

from thirty years and upward to fifty years old, you shall number them; all who enter to perform the service to do the work in the tent of meeting.

All the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their loads and in all their work, shall be performed at the command of Aaron and his sons; and you shall assign to them as a duty all their loads.

from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, you shall number them, everyone who enters the service to do the work of the tent of meeting.

from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tent of meeting.

from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tent of meeting.

from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tent of meeting.

from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who could enter to do the work of service and the work of carrying in the tent of meeting.

Now this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold; from its base to its flowers it was hammered work; according to the pattern which the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

“This is what applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall enter to perform service in the work of the tent of meeting.

But at the age of fifty years they shall retire from service in the work and not work any more.

They may, however, assist their brothers in the tent of meeting, to keep an obligation, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall deal with the Levites concerning their obligations.”

“Make yourself two trumpets of silver, of hammered work you shall make them; and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for having the camps set out.

On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work.

On the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work.

‘Also on the day of the first fruits, when you present a new grain offering to the Lord in your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work.

‘Now in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall also have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. It will be to you a day for blowing trumpets.

‘Then on the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall humble yourselves; you shall not do any work.

‘Then on the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work, and you shall observe a feast to the Lord for seven days.

‘On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly; you shall do no laborious work.