Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Employee » Character of unrighteous
"A human being born of a woman [is] short of days and full of troubles.
"Listen to another parable: There was a man--a master of a house--who planted a vineyard, and put a fence [around] it, and dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower, and leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey. And when the season of fruit drew near, he sent his slaves to the tenant farmers to collect his fruit. And the tenant farmers seized his slaves, [one of] whom they beat, and [one of] whom they killed, and [one of] whom they stoned. read more.
Again, he sent other slaves, more than the first [ones], and they did the same [thing] to them. So finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But [when] the tenant farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance!' And they seized him [and] threw [him] out of the vineyard and killed [him]. Now when the master of the vineyard arrives, what will he do to those tenant farmers?" They said to him, "He will destroy those evil [men] completely and lease the vineyard to other tenant farmers who will give him the fruits in their season."
Again, he sent other slaves, more than the first [ones], and they did the same [thing] to them. So finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But [when] the tenant farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance!' And they seized him [and] threw [him] out of the vineyard and killed [him]. Now when the master of the vineyard arrives, what will he do to those tenant farmers?" They said to him, "He will destroy those evil [men] completely and lease the vineyard to other tenant farmers who will give him the fruits in their season."
"Does not {a human being have hard service} on earth? And [are not] his days like the days of a laborer? Like a slave he longs for [the] shadow, and like a laborer he waits for his wages. So {I had to inherit} months of worthlessness, and nights of misery are apportioned to me.
"For the kingdom of heaven is like a man--the master of the house--who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. And [after] coming to an agreement with the workers for a denarius per day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace. read more.
And to those [people] he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and I will give you whatever is right.' So they went. Going out again about the sixth and ninth hour he did the same [thing]. And about the eleventh [hour] he went out [and] found others standing [there] and said to them, 'Why are you standing here the whole day unemployed?' They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You go also into the vineyard.' And [when] evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last up to the first.' And [when] the ones [hired] about the eleventh hour came, they received a denarius apiece. And [when] the first came, they thought that they would receive more, and they also received a denarius apiece. And [when they] received [it], they began to complain against the master of the house, saying, 'These last [people] worked one hour and you made them equal to us who have endured the burden of the day and the burning heat!' But he answered one of them [and] said, 'Friend, I am not doing you wrong. Did you not come to an agreement with me for a denarius? Take [what is] yours and go! But I want to give to this last [person] [the same] as [I gave] to you also. Is it not permitted for me to do whatever I want with [what is] mine? Or is your eye evil because I am generous?'
And to those [people] he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and I will give you whatever is right.' So they went. Going out again about the sixth and ninth hour he did the same [thing]. And about the eleventh [hour] he went out [and] found others standing [there] and said to them, 'Why are you standing here the whole day unemployed?' They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You go also into the vineyard.' And [when] evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last up to the first.' And [when] the ones [hired] about the eleventh hour came, they received a denarius apiece. And [when] the first came, they thought that they would receive more, and they also received a denarius apiece. And [when they] received [it], they began to complain against the master of the house, saying, 'These last [people] worked one hour and you made them equal to us who have endured the burden of the day and the burning heat!' But he answered one of them [and] said, 'Friend, I am not doing you wrong. Did you not come to an agreement with me for a denarius? Take [what is] yours and go! But I want to give to this last [person] [the same] as [I gave] to you also. Is it not permitted for me to do whatever I want with [what is] mine? Or is your eye evil because I am generous?'
The hired hand, who is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf approaching and abandons the sheep and runs away--and the wolf seizes them and scatters [them]-- because he is a hired hand and {he is not concerned} about the sheep.
Select readings » The brevity of life
"A human being born of a woman [is] short of days and full of troubles. Like a flower he comes up, and he withers away; and he flees like a shadow, but he does not last. Even on such a one you fix your eyes, and you bring me into judgment with you. read more.
"Who can bring a clean [thing] from an unclean [thing]? No one! If his days [are] determined, the number of his months [is] with you; you have appointed his boundaries, and he cannot cross [them]. Look away from him, and let him desist until he enjoys his days like a laborer. "Indeed, there is hope for a tree: if it is cut down, then it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not cease; though its root grows old in the earth, and its stump dies in the dust, at the scent of water it will bud, and it will put forth branches like a young plant. "But a man dies, and he dwindles away; thus a human being passes away, and where is he?
"Who can bring a clean [thing] from an unclean [thing]? No one! If his days [are] determined, the number of his months [is] with you; you have appointed his boundaries, and he cannot cross [them]. Look away from him, and let him desist until he enjoys his days like a laborer. "Indeed, there is hope for a tree: if it is cut down, then it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not cease; though its root grows old in the earth, and its stump dies in the dust, at the scent of water it will bud, and it will put forth branches like a young plant. "But a man dies, and he dwindles away; thus a human being passes away, and where is he?
Servant » Hired » Unclassified scriptures relating to
"Then I will approach you for judgment, and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers, and against those who swear {falsely}, and against the oppressors of [the] hired worker [with his] wages, [the] widow and [the] orphan, and {the abusers of} [the] alien, and [yet] do not fear me," says Yahweh of hosts.
Verse Concepts
For the scripture says, "You must not muzzle an ox [while it] is threshing," and "The worker [is] worthy of his wages."
Behold, the wages that were held back by you from the workers who reap your fields cry out, and the cries of the reapers have come to the ears of the Lord of hosts.
" 'You shall not exploit your neighbor, and you shall not rob [him]; a hired worker's wage you shall not {withhold} overnight until morning.
Masters, grant your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you also have a master in heaven.
And remain in the same house, eating and drinking {whatever they provide}, for the worker [is] worthy of his pay. Do not move from house to house.
Now to the one who works, his pay is not credited according to grace, but according to his due.
" 'And if your countryman [who is] with you becomes poor, and he is sold to you, {you shall not treat him as a slave}. He shall be with you like a hired worker, like a temporary resident; he shall work with you until the Year of Jubilee. And he and his sons with him shall go out from you, and he shall return to his clan, and to the property of his ancestors he shall return.
"You shall not exploit a hired worker, [who is] needy and poor, from among your fellow men or from [among] your aliens who are in your land [and] in your {towns}. On his day you shall give his wage, and the sun shall not go {down}, because [he is] poor and {his life depends on it}; [do this] so that he does not cry out against you to Yahweh, {and you incur guilt}.
"Does not {a human being have hard service} on earth? And [are not] his days like the days of a laborer? Like a slave he longs for [the] shadow, and like a laborer he waits for his wages.
Do not procure gold or silver or copper for your belts. Do not [take] a traveler's bag for the road, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff, for the worker [is] deserving of his provisions.