Thematic Bible: Business life


Thematic Bible



Then Moses was very wroth, and said to Jehovah, Have no regard to their oblation: not one ass have I taken from them, neither have I hurt one of them.

And they did not reckon with the men into whose hand they gave the money to be bestowed on workmen; for they dealt faithfully.

And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, and thou hast not injured us, neither hast thou taken aught of any man's hand.

And the man said to Joab, Though I should receive a thousand silver pieces in my hand, yet would I not put forth my hand against the king's son; for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Take care, whoever it be of you, of the young man Absalom.

And the man of God said to the king, If thou wilt give me half thy house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place;

But he said, As Jehovah liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none! And he urged him to take it; but he refused.

But no reckoning was made with them of the money that was given into their hand, because they dealt faithfully.

But the former governors that were before me had been chargeable to the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver: even their servants bore rule over the people. But I did not so, because of the fear of God.

Receive us: we have injured no one, we have ruined no one, we have made gain of no one.










Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his upper chambers by injustice; that taketh his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not his earning;




He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread; but he that followeth the worthless is void of understanding.





She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.




Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his upper chambers by injustice; that taketh his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not his earning;



He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance gathereth it for him that is gracious to the poor.

And behold, I have smitten mine hand at thine overreaching which thou hast done, and at thy bloodshed which hath been in the midst of thee.




Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in measure of length, in weight, and in measure of capacity: just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin shall ye have: I am Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

A perfect and just weight shalt thou have; a perfect and just ephah shalt thou have; that thy days may be prolonged in the land that Jehovah thy God giveth thee.



for we provide for things honest, not only before the Lord, but also before men.





just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin shall ye have: I am Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.






And it came to pass on his arrival back again, having received the kingdom, that he desired these bondmen to whom he gave the money to be called to him, in order that he might know what every one had gained by trading.

besides what came by the dealers, and by the traffic of the merchants, and by all the kings of Arabia, and by the governors of the country.

He cropped off the top of its young shoots, and carried it into a merchants' land; he set it in a city of traders.


And dwell with us, and the land shall be before you: dwell and trade in it, and get yourselves possessions in it.

and bring your youngest brother to me, and I shall know that ye are not spies, but are honest. Your brother will I give up to you; and ye may trade in the land.

Tarshish dealt with thee by reason of the abundance of all substance; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they furnished thy markets.


to turn away the poor from judgment, and to take away the right from the afflicted of my people; that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!

In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast overreached thy neighbours by oppression, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord Jehovah.


But that bondman having gone out, found one of his fellow-bondmen who owed him a hundred denarii. And having seized him, he throttled him, saying, Pay me if thou owest anything.


And he said to them, Take no more money than what is appointed to you.

not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the avaricious and rapacious, or idolaters, since then ye should go out of the world.


And Jezebel his wife said to him, Dost thou now exercise sovereignty over Israel? arise, eat bread, and let thy heart be glad: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jizreelite.

And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water that Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.

But the shepherds of Gerar strove with Isaac's shepherds, saying, The water is ours. And he called the name of the well Esek, because they had quarrelled with him.

I have been these twenty years in thy house: I have served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy flock; and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them, and they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it among their stuff.

And he said to his mother, "The eleven hundred pieces of silver which were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it." And his mother said, "Blessed be my son by the LORD."

and the five men who had gone to spy out the land went up, and entered and took the graven image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.


My son, if thou hast become surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand for a stranger, thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

The righteousness of the perfect maketh plain his way; but the wicked falleth by his own wickedness.

A senseless man striketh hands, becoming surety for his neighbour.

Take his garment that is become surety for another, and hold him in pledge for strangers.

Be not of them that strike hands, of them that are sureties for debts:

Take his garment that is become surety for another, and hold him in pledge for a strange woman.


and carried away all his cattle, and all his property that he had acquired the cattle of his possessions that he had acquired in Padan-Aram, to go to Isaac his father, into the land of Canaan.

And he brought back all the property, and brought again his brother Lot and his property, and the women also, and the people.

And the children of Israel took the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took for a spoil all their cattle and all their flocks and all their goods;

And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with articles of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered.

And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all good things, wells digged, vineyards and olive-gardens, and fruit trees in abundance. And they did eat and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.

And a person said to him out of the crowd, Teacher, speak to my brother to divide the inheritance with me.

and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give to me the share of the property that falls to me. And he divided to them what he was possessed of.


But if the bondman shall say distinctly, I love my master, my wife, and my children, I will not go free;

Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress, so our eyes are directed to Jehovah our God, until he be gracious unto us.

A wise servant shall rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part in the inheritance among the brethren.

As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters.

Whoso keepeth the fig-tree shall eat the fruit thereof; and he that guardeth his master shall be honoured.

Who then is the faithful and prudent bondman whom his lord has set over his household, to give them food in season?


if thou lend money to my people, the poor with thee,thou shalt not be to him as a usurer: ye shall charge him no interest.

And I consulted with myself; and I remonstrated with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother! And I set a great assembly against them.

He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance gathereth it for him that is gracious to the poor.

Thou shalt take no usury nor increase of him; and thou shalt fear thy God; that thy brother may live beside thee.

He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

he hath not given forth upon usury, nor taken increase; he hath withdrawn his hand from unrighteousness, hath executed true judgment between man and man,



But we desire earnestly that each one of you shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end;









And if a man borrow anything of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, its owner not being with it, he shall fully make it good;

And he said, Go, borrow for thyself vessels abroad from all thy neighbours, empty vessels; let it not be few;

And it came to pass as one was felling a beam, that the iron fell into the water; and he cried and said, Alas, master, and it was borrowed!




And if it seem evil unto you to serve Jehovah, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods whom your fathers that were on the other side of the river served, or the gods of the Amorite, in whose land ye dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.

And a certain centurion's bondman who was dear to him was ill and about to die;

And Jacob said to his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and cleanse yourselves, and change your garments;

And David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How honourable did the king of Israel make himself to-day, who uncovered himself to-day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the lewd fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!




And if it seem evil unto you to serve Jehovah, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods whom your fathers that were on the other side of the river served, or the gods of the Amorite, in whose land ye dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.

And a certain centurion's bondman who was dear to him was ill and about to die;

And Jacob said to his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and cleanse yourselves, and change your garments;

And David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How honourable did the king of Israel make himself to-day, who uncovered himself to-day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the lewd fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!


besides what came by the dealers, and by the traffic of the merchants, and by all the kings of Arabia, and by the governors of the country.

And they sat down to eat bread; and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites came from Gilead; and their camels bore tragacanth, and balsam, and ladanum going to carry it down to Egypt.

And the merchants of the earth weep and grieve over her, because no one buys their lading any more;

And the dealers and sellers of all kind of ware passed the night without Jerusalem once or twice.

Who hath purposed this against Tyre, the distributor of crowns, whose merchants were princes, whose dealers were the honourable of the earth?


Syria dealt with thee for the multitude of thy handiworks: they traded in thy markets with carbuncles, purple, and broidered work, and fine linen, and corals, and rubies.

and said to the sellers of doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house a house of merchandise.

lading of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and pearl, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet dye, and all thyine wood, and every article in ivory, and every article in most precious wood, and in brass, and in iron, and in marble,

and that if the peoples of the land brought wares or any grain on the sabbath day to sell, we would not take it of them on the sabbath, or on any holy day; and that we would leave the land uncultivated the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.

Men of Tyre also dwelt therein, who brought fish and all manner of ware, and sold it on the sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.


And Abram said to Sarai, Behold, thy maidservant is in thy hand: do to her what is good in thine eyes. And Sarai oppressed her; and she fled from her face.


And Joseph's lord took him and put him into the tower-house, the place where the king's prisoners were confined; and he was there in the tower-house.

And the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with harshness;

And David said to him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days ago I fell sick.


And Abram said to Sarai, Behold, thy maidservant is in thy hand: do to her what is good in thine eyes. And Sarai oppressed her; and she fled from her face.


And Joseph's lord took him and put him into the tower-house, the place where the king's prisoners were confined; and he was there in the tower-house.

And the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with harshness;

And David said to him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days ago I fell sick.



but thou shalt open thy hand bountifully unto him, and shalt certainly lend him on pledge what is sufficient for his need, in that which he lacketh.

all the day he is gracious and lendeth, and his seed shall be a blessing.

It is well with the man that is gracious and lendeth; he will sustain his cause in judgment.



If any one sin and act unfaithfully against Jehovah, and lie to his neighbour as to an entrusted thing or a deposit or that in which he hath robbed or wronged his neighbour,

Look not upon me, because I am black; Because the sun hath looked upon me. My mother's children were angry with me: They made me keeper of the vineyards; Mine own vineyard have I not kept.

And thou didst take thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of males, and didst commit fornication with them.

and if ye have not been faithful in that which is another's, who shall give to you your own?


For thou hast taken a pledge of thy brother for nought, and stripped off the clothing of the naked.

If thou at all take thy neighbour's garment in pledge, thou shalt return it to him before the sun goes down;

No man shall take the hand-mill or the upper millstone in pledge; for it would be taking life in pledge.

They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge;

And they lay themselves down by every altar upon clothes taken in pledge, and they drink in the house of their God the wine of the condemned.



And the field and the cave that was in it were assured to Abraham for a possession of a sepulchre by the sons of Heth.

Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redemption and concerning exchange, to confirm the whole matter: a man drew off his sandal, and gave it to his neighbour, and this was the mode of attestation in Israel. And he that had the right of redemption said to Boaz, Buy for thyself; and he drew off his sandal.

And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have heard the things which thou sentest to me for: I will do all thy desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of cypress. My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon to the sea; and I will convey them by sea in rafts to the place that thou shalt appoint me, and will cause them to be broken up there, and thou shalt receive them. And thou shalt accomplish my desire in giving food for my household. So Hiram gave Solomon cedar-trees and cypress-trees according to all his desire. read more.
And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat as food for his household, and twenty measures of beaten oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year.




But ye do wrong, and defraud, and this your brethren.


No man shall take the hand-mill or the upper millstone in pledge; for it would be taking life in pledge.

They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge;



So I bought her to me for fifteen silver pieces, and for a homer of barley, and a half-homer of barley.

And they brought their cattle to Joseph; and Joseph gave them bread for horses, and for flocks of sheep, and for herds of cattle, and for asses; and he fed them with bread for all their cattle that year.

So Hiram gave Solomon cedar-trees and cypress-trees according to all his desire.



on his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and his soul yearneth after it; lest he cry against thee to Jehovah, and it be a sin in thee.



on his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and his soul yearneth after it; lest he cry against thee to Jehovah, and it be a sin in thee.


Again he sent other bondmen, saying, Say to the persons invited, Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fatted beasts are killed, and all things ready; come to the wedding feast. But they made light of it, and went, one to his own land, and another to his commerce.

And he said to him, A certain man made a great supper and invited many. And he sent his bondman at the hour of supper to say to those who were invited, Come, for already all things are ready. And all began, without exception, to excuse themselves. The first said to him, I have bought land, and I must go out and see it; I pray thee hold me for excused. read more.
And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them; I pray thee hold me for excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and on this account I cannot come.



And he spoke a parable to them, saying, The land of a certain rich man brought forth abundantly. And he reasoned within himself saying, What shall I do? for I have not a place where I shall lay up my fruits. And he said, This will I do: I will take away my granaries and build greater, and there I will lay up all my produce and my good things;


And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the false swearers, and against those that oppress the hired servant in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith Jehovah of hosts.

And persons engaged in military service also asked him saying, And we, what should we do? And he said to them, Oppress no one, nor accuse falsely, and be satisfied with your pay.


they gave it to the carpenters and the builders, to buy hewn stone, and timber for the joists, and to floor the houses that the kings of Judah had destroyed. And the men did the work faithfully. And over them were appointed Jahath and Obadiah, Levites, of the children of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the children of the Kohathites, for the oversight; and all these Levites were skilled in instruments of music.


Then I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour wherewith I had laboured under the sun.


The sleep of the labourer is sweet, whether he have eaten little or much; but the fulness of the rich doth not suffer him to sleep.




And as the king passed by, he cried to the king and said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man to me and said, Keep this man; if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or thou shalt pay a talent of silver. And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said to him, So is thy judgment: thyself hast decided it.


And having begun to reckon, one debtor of ten thousand talents was brought to him. But he not having anything to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and his children, and everything that he had, and that payment should be made.




Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his upper chambers by injustice; that taketh his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not his earning;




Brethren, (I speak according to man,) even man's confirmed covenant no one sets aside, or adds other dispositions to.


And I made storekeepers over the storehouses: Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah; and subordinate to them, Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were esteemed faithful, and their office was to distribute to their brethren.


Let as many bondmen as are under yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and the teaching be not blasphemed.






And they did not reckon with the men into whose hand they gave the money to be bestowed on workmen; for they dealt faithfully.




If I have despised the cause of my bondman or of my bondmaid, when they contended with me, What then should I do when God riseth up? and if he visited, what should I answer him?


And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and took cognizance of nothing with him, save the bread that he ate. And Joseph was of a beautiful form and of a beautiful countenance.


And there were that said, We have had to pledge our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses, that we might procure corn in the dearth.




And having called to him each one of the debtors of his own lord, he said to the first, How much owest thou to my lord? And he said, A hundred baths of oil. And he said to him, Take thy writing and sit down quickly and write fifty.


And she came and told the man of God; and he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy sons on the rest.




Verily, man walketh in a vain show; verily they are disquieted in vain; he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.


Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find a pretext against Daniel with respect to the kingdom; but they could not find any pretext or fault; inasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.


bondmen to be subject to their own masters, to make themselves acceptable in everything; not gainsaying;




and because they were of the same trade abode with them, and wrought. For they were tent-makers by trade.


and the man Jeroboam was strong and valiant; and Solomon saw the young man that he was industrious, and he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.


And she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out what she had gleaned; and it was about an ephah of barley.


And we laboured in the work; and half of them held the spears from the rising of the dawn till the stars appeared.