35 Bible Verses about Agriculture

And Noah, being a husbandman, went forth and planted a vineyard,

And there shall dwell Judah, and all her cities, the shepherds and husbandmen:

Through thee I have scattered the shepherd and his flock, the husbandman and his cattle, the princes and the rulers.

"'If no,' sayeth the LORD God, the God of hosts, 'there shall be mourning in all streets. Yea, they shall say in every street: alas, alas. They shall call the husbandman to lamentation; and such as can mourn, to mourning.

But he shall be fain to say, 'I am no Prophet: I am a husbandman, for so am I taught by Adam from my youth up.'

The flax and the barley were smitten, for the barley was shot up and the flax was bolled:

Then let her husband bring her unto the priest and bring an offering for her: the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal, but shall pour none oil thereunto, nor put frankincense thereon: for it is an offering of jealousy, and an offering that maketh remembrance of sin.

And the time when Naomi with Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, returned out of the country of Moab and came to Bethlehem was in the beginning of barley harvest.

And as for barley and straw for the horses and beasts they brought unto the places where the officers were, every man in his office.

There came a man from Baalshalishah and brought the man of God bread of first fruits, even twenty loaves of barley, and new corn in a cloth he had. And Elisha bade put it before the people that they might eat. Then his minister said,

And Joseph laid up corn in store, like unto the sand of the sea in multitude out of measure, until he left numbering: For it was without number.

And it shall be reckoned unto you for your heave offering, even as though ye gave corn out of the barn or a full offering from the wine press.

And they ate of the corn of the land on the morrow after Passover, sweet cakes and parched corn in the selfsame day.

Thou visitest the earth, thou waterest it, and makest it very plenteous. The river of God is full of waters; thou preparest man his corn, and thus thou providest for the earth.

There shall be a heap of corn in the earth, high upon the hills; his fruit shall shake like Lebanon, and shall be green in the city like grass upon the earth.

And the time when Naomi with Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, returned out of the country of Moab and came to Bethlehem was in the beginning of barley harvest.

Neither shall sowing time and harvest, cold, and heat, summer and winter, day and night cease, as long as the earth endureth."

"Six years thou shalt sow thy land and gather in the fruits thereof:

When thou cuttest down thine harvest in the field and hast forgotten a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again and fetch it: But it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless and the widow, that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand.

Is it not now wheat harvest? And yet for all that, I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain. Wherefore, perceive and understand how that your wickedness is great which ye have done in the sight of the LORD in asking you a king."

If thou wilt not let my people go: behold, tomorrow will I bring grasshoppers into thy land,

even these of them ye may eat: the arb and all his kind; the soleam with all his kind; the hargol and all the kind; and the hagab and all his kind.

Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in: for the grasshoppers shall destroy it.

If there chance dearth in the land, pestilence, blasting or withering of corn, or that the fruits be devoured of grasshoppers or caterpillars, or if their enemies besiege them in the land and in their own cities, or whatsoever plague or sickness chance:

The grasshoppers have not a guide, yet go they forth together by heaps.

For when thou tillest the ground she shall henceforth not give her power unto thee. A vagabond and a renegade shalt thou be upon the earth."

And so your labour shall be spent in vain. For your land shall not give her increase, neither the trees of the land shall give their fruits.

and then the wrath of the LORD wax hot upon you and shut up the heaven that there be no rain and that your land yield not her fruit, and that ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you.

And ten acres of vines shall give but a quart, and thirty bushels of seed shall give but an ephah.

They have sown wind, therefore shall they reap a whirlwind. Their seed shall bear no corn, there shall no meal be made of their increase: though they reap, yet shall strangers devour it up.

And Noah, being a husbandman, went forth and planted a vineyard,

And the LORD God took Adam and put him in the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it.

And she proceeded forth and bare his brother Abel: And Abel became a shepherd, and Cain became a plowman.

And Isaac sowed in the land, and found in the same year a hundred bushels; for the LORD blessed him.

Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt cut thy vines and gather in thy fruits.

And Isaac sowed in the land, and found in the same year a hundred bushels; for the LORD blessed him.

And in the seven plenteous years they made sheaves,

then I will send you rain in the right season and your land shall yield her increase and the trees of the field shall give their fruit.

Thou shalt tithe all the increase of thy seed that cometh out of the field year by year.

Seven days thou shalt keep holy day unto the LORD thy God, in the place which the LORD shall choose: for the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy fruits and in all the works of thine hands, and thou shalt be all together gladness.

even these of them ye may eat: the arb and all his kind; the soleam with all his kind; the hargol and all the kind; and the hagab and all his kind.

And there we saw also giants, the children of Anak which are of the giants. And we seemed in our sight as it were grasshoppers and so we did in their sight."

for they came with their cattle and households even as grasshoppers in multitude: so that both they and also their camels were without number. And they entered the land to destroy it.

When men shall fear in high places, and be afraid in the streets; when the Almond tree shall be despised, the grasshopper born out, and when great poverty shall break in; when man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets.

That he sitteth upon the Circle of the world, and that all the inhabiters of the world are, in comparison of him, but as grasshoppers; That he spreadeth out the heavens as a covering, he stretcheth them out as a tent to dwell in;

And when they came to the field of Atad beyond Jordan, there they made great and exceeding sore lamentation. And he mourned for his father seven days.

Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the threshing place. And if the dew be on the fleece only, and dry upon all the earth beside: then I shall be sure that thou wilt save Israel by my hand as thou saidest."

For now this Boaz our kinsman with whose maidens thou wast, winnoweth his barley tonight in the threshing floor:

And when they came to Nacon's threshing floor, Uzzah put his hand to the ark of God and held it, for the oxen stumbled.

And when the Angel stretched out his hand unto Jerusalem to have destroyed it, the LORD had compassion to do that evil, and said to the Angel that destroyed the people, "It is sufficient: let thine hand cease." And the Angel was at the threshing place of Araunah the Jebusite.

If there chance dearth in the land, pestilence, blasting or withering of corn, or that the fruits be devoured of grasshoppers or caterpillars, or if their enemies besiege them in the land and in their own cities, or whatsoever plague or sickness chance:

Look, what the caterpillar hath left, that hath the grasshopper eaten up; what the grasshopper left, that hath the locust eaten up; and what the locust hath left, that hath the blasting consumed.

How he gave their fruits unto the caterpillar, and their labour unto the grasshopper;

He spake the word, and the grasshoppers came, and caterpillars innumerable,

Set up a token in the land, blow the trumpets among the Heathen, provoke the nations against her, call the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz against her: set the prince against her, bring as great a sort of horses against her, as if they were grasshoppers.

For now this Boaz our kinsman with whose maidens thou wast, winnoweth his barley tonight in the threshing floor:

And the Angel of the LORD came and sat under an oak in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the father of the Abiezrites. And his son Gideon pressed out wheat out of the ears in a press, for to flee from the Midianites.

And Ornan turned about and saw the Angel, and his four sons with him, and hid themselves: for Oman was threshing wheat.

For he treadeth not the fitches out with a waine, neither bringeth he the cart here and there over the cumin, but he thresheth the fitches out with a flail, and the cumin with a rod.

For it is written in the law of Moses, "Thou shall not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn." Doth God take thought for oxen?

Then reckon the seven weeks, and begin to reckon the seven weeks when the sickle beginneth in the corn,

They shall root out the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in Harvest. For fear of the sword of the enemy, every man shall get him to his own people, and every man shall flee to his own land.

Lay to your scythes, for the harvest is ripe. Come, get you down: the winepress is full, yea the winepresses run over, for their wickedness is waxen great.

And as soon as the fruit is brought forth, anon he thrusteth in the sickle because that harvest is come."

And I looked and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sitting like unto the son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.

And he departed thence and found Elisha the son of Shaphat plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelve. And Elijah went to him and cast his mantle upon him.

there came a messenger unto Job, and said, "While the oxen were a plowing, and the asses going in the pasture beside them,

Jesus said unto him, "No man that putteth his hand to the plough, and looketh back, is apt to the kingdom of God."

Who is it, if he had a servant a plowing, or feeding cattle, that would say unto him when he were come from the field, 'Go quickly and sit down to meat.'

Either saith he it not altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he which eareth should ear in hope: and that he which thresheth in hope, should be partaker of his hope.

So shall thy barns be filled with plenteousness, and thy presses shall flow over with sweet wine.

is not the seed yet in the barn? Have not the vines, the fig trees, the pomegranates and the olive trees been yet unfruitful? But from this day forth, I shall make them to prosper."

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither reap, nor yet carry into the barns, and yet your heavenly father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

And he said, 'This will I do. I will destroy my barns, and build greater: and therein will I gather all my fruits, and my goods:

Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which neither have storehouse nor barn, and yet God feedeth them. How much are ye better then the fowls?

Thou shalt not pluck in all thy vineyard clean, neither gather in the grapes that are overscaped. But thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger. I am the LORD your God.

"'When ye reap down your harvest, thou shalt not make clean riddance of thy field, neither shalt thou make any after gathering of thy harvest: but shalt leave them unto the poor and the stranger. I am the LORD your God.'"

And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, "Let me go to the field and lease and gather ears, after whomsoever I find grace in his sight." And she said unto her, "Go, my daughter."

Then said Boaz unto Ruth, "Hearest thou my daughter: go to no other field to gather, neither go from hence; but abide by my maidens.

And so she kept her by the maidens of Boaz, to gather unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest also: and dwelt with her mother-in-law.

Neither shall sowing time and harvest, cold, and heat, summer and winter, day and night cease, as long as the earth endureth."

But there was no smith throughout the land of Israel. For the Philistines thought that then the Hebrews might make them swords or spears. And therefore must all Israel go down to the Philistines, to mend every man his share, his mattock, his axe or his sickle: as oft as the edges of the sickles, mattocks, dung forks, and axes were blunt, and also to mend their goods.

Goeth not the husbandman ever in due season earnestly to his land? He moweth and ploweth his ground to sow. And when he hath made it plain, he soweth it with fitches or cumin. He soweth the wheat and Barley in their place, Milium and Rye also in their place. And that he may do it right, his God teacheth him and showeth him. read more.
For he treadeth not the fitches out with a waine, neither bringeth he the cart here and there over the cumin, but he thresheth the fitches out with a flail, and the cumin with a rod. As for the wheat, he grindeth it to make bread thereof; Inasmuch as he cannot bring it to pass with treading out. For neither the bruising that the cart wheels make, nor his beasts, can grind it.

And he spake many things to them in similitudes, saying, "Behold, the sower went forth to sow. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and the fowls came, and devoured it up. Some fell upon stony ground where it had not much earth, and anon it sprung up, because it had no depth of earth: read more.
And when the sun was up, it caught heat, and for lack of rooting withered away. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprung up and choked it. Part fell in good ground, and brought forth good fruit: some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

This yet remember, how that he which soweth little, shall reap little: and he that soweth plenteously shall reap plenteously.

For I smote you with heat, blasting and hailstones in all the labors of your hands: yet was there none of you, that would turn unto me, sayeth the LORD.

If there chance dearth in the land, pestilence, blasting or withering of corn, or that the fruits be devoured of grasshoppers or caterpillars, or if their enemies besiege them in the land and in their own cities, or whatsoever plague or sickness chance:

And the LORD shall smite thee with swelling, with fevers, heat, burning, weathering, with smiting and blasting. And they shall follow thee, until thou perish.

'I have smitten you with drought and blasting: and look how many orchards, vineyards, fig trees, and olive trees ye had: the caterpillar hath eaten them up. But yet will ye not turn unto me,' sayeth the LORD.

For the land whither thou goest to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt whence thou camest out, where thou sowedest thy seed and wateredest it with thy labour as a garden of herbs:

I made me orchards and gardens of pleasure, and planted trees in them of all manner fruits.

The LORD shall ever be thy guide, and satisfy the desire of thine heart, and fill thy bones with marrow. Thou shalt be like a fresh watered garden, and like the fountain of water, that never leaveth running.

When ye reap down the ripe corn of your land, ye shall not reap down the utmost borders of your fields, neither shalt thou gather that which is left behind in thy harvest.

"Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, 'When ye be come into the land which I give unto you and reap down your harvest, ye shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest unto the priest,

The corn that groweth by itself thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes that grow without thy dressing: but it shall be a Sabbath of rest unto the land.

He that regardeth the wind, shall not sow; and he that hath respect unto the clouds, shall not reap.

O how happy shall ye be, when ye shall safely sow your seed beside all waters, and drive thither the feet of your oxen and asses.

And he spake many things to them in similitudes, saying, "Behold, the sower went forth to sow.

And ten acres of vines shall give but a quart, and thirty bushels of seed shall give but an ephah.

At the same time all vineyards - though there be a thousand vines in one, and were sold for a thousand silverlings - shall be turned to briers and thorns.

They shall sow wheat, and reap thorns. They shall take heritage in possession, but it shall do them no good. And ye shall be confounded of your own winnings, because of the great wrath of the LORD."

The field shall be wasted, the land shall be in a miserable cause: for the corn shall be destroyed, the sweet wine shall come to confusion, and the oil utterly desolate. The husbandmen and the wine gardeners shall look piteously, and make lamentation for the wheat, wine and barley; and because the harvest upon the field is so clean destroyed.

He shall come down like the rain into a fleece of wool, even as the drops that water the earth.

whereof the mower filleth not his hand, neither he that bindeth up the sheaves his bosom.

The LORD God showed me such a vision: behold, there stood one that made grasshoppers, even when the corn was shooting forth, after the king had clipped his sheep.

And unto Adam he said, "Forasmuch as thou hast obeyed the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying 'See thou eat not thereof' cursed be the earth for thy sake. In sorrow shalt thou eat thereof all days of thy life: and it shall bear thorns and thistles unto thee. And thou shalt eat the herbs of the field:

and called him Noah, saying, "This same shall comfort us: as concerning our work and sorrow of our hands which we have about the earth that the LORD hath cursed."

Look, what the caterpillar hath left, that hath the grasshopper eaten up; what the grasshopper left, that hath the locust eaten up; and what the locust hath left, that hath the blasting consumed.

And I will restore you again, with my great power which I have sent unto you, the years which the locusts and caterpillars have devoured.

'I have smitten you with drought and blasting: and look how many orchards, vineyards, fig trees, and olive trees ye had: the caterpillar hath eaten them up. But yet will ye not turn unto me,' sayeth the LORD.

She considereth land, and buyeth it; with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

Moreover, he goeth out to hew down Cedar trees: He bringeth home Elms and Oaks, and other timber of the wood. Or else the Fir trees which he planted himself, and such as the rain hath swelled,

Behold, we were making sheaves in the field: and lo, my sheaf arose and stood upright, and yours stood round about and made obeisance to my sheaf."

Let both grow together till harvest come: and in time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, Gather ye first the tares, and bind them in sheaves to be burnt: but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

And he spake many things to them in similitudes, saying, "Behold, the sower went forth to sow. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and the fowls came, and devoured it up. Some fell upon stony ground where it had not much earth, and anon it sprung up, because it had no depth of earth: read more.
And when the sun was up, it caught heat, and for lack of rooting withered away. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprung up and choked it. Part fell in good ground, and brought forth good fruit: some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

Whosoever heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, there cometh the evil man, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. And this is he which was sown by the wayside. But he that was sown in the stony ground, is he which heareth the word of God, and anon with joy receiveth it, yet hath no roots in himself, and therefore dureth but a season: for as soon as tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he falleth. read more.
He that was sown among thorns, is he that heareth the word of God, but the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and so is he made unfruitful. He which is sown in the good ground, is he, that heareth the word and understandeth it, which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold."

"A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and it was trodden under feet, and the fowls of the air devoured it up. And some fell on stone, and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moistness. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. read more.
And some fell on good ground, and sprang up and bare fruit, a hundred fold." And as he said these things, he cried, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." And his disciples asked him, saying, "What manner similitude is this?" And he said, "Unto you is it given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God: but to others in similitudes, that when they see, they should not see, and when they hear they should not understand. The similitude is this: The seed is the word of God. Those that are beside the way, are they that hear, and afterward cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the stones, are they which, when they hear, receive the word with joy. But these have no roots, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation go away. And that which fell among thorns, are they which hear, and go forth, and are choked with cares and with riches, and voluptuous living, and bring forth no fruit. That in the good ground, are they which with a good and pure heart, hear the word, and keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

And the LORD God took Adam and put him in the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it.

and the LORD God cast him out of the garden of Eden, to till the earth whence he was taken.

For now this Boaz our kinsman with whose maidens thou wast, winnoweth his barley tonight in the threshing floor:

Which hath also his fan in his hand, and will purge his floor, and gather the wheat into His garner; and will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire."

See that thou know the number of thy cattle thy self, and look well to thy flocks.

Thou shalt have goats' milk enough to feed thee, to uphold thy household, and to sustain thy maidens.

Cease not thou therefore with thy hands to sow thy seed, whether it be in the morning or in the evening: for then knowest not whether this or that shall prosper, and if they both take, it is the better.

And he built towers in the wilderness and digged many wells. For he had much cattle, both in the valley and also in the plain; and plowmen and vinedressers in the mountains and in Carmel, for he loved husbandry.

And over the workmen in the fields that tilled the ground, was Ezri the son of Chelub.

Another similitude put he forth, unto them saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, there came his foe, and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. When the blade was sprung up, and had brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. read more.
The servants then came to the householder, and said unto him, 'Sir, sowest not thou good seed in thy close, from whence then hath it tares?' But he said to them, 'The envious man hath done this.' Then the servants said unto him, 'Wilt thou then that we go and weed them out?' But he said, 'Nay, lest while ye go about to weed out the tares, ye pluck up also with them the wheat by the roots. Let both grow together till harvest come: and in time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, Gather ye first the tares, and bind them in sheaves to be burnt: but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

Then sent Jesus the people away, and came to house. And his disciples came unto him, saying, "Declare unto us the similitude of the tares in the field." Then answered he and said to them, "He that soweth the good seed, is the son of man, and the field is the world. And the children of the kingdom, they are the good seed. And the tares are the children of the wicked. read more.
And the enemy that soweth them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world. And the reapers be the angels. For even as the tares are gathered, and burnt in the fire, so shall it be in the end of this world. The son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that do offend, and all them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire. There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the just men shine as bright as the sun in the kingdom of their father. Whosoever hath ears to hear, let him hear.

They think not in their hearts, 'O let us fear the LORD our God, that giveth us rain, early and late, when need is: which keepeth ever still the harvest for us yearly.'

And she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold: which they bestowed upon Baal.

And the LORD God took Adam and put him in the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it.

and the LORD God cast him out of the garden of Eden, to till the earth whence he was taken.

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, until thou return unto the earth whence thou wast taken: for earth thou art, and unto earth shalt thou return."

And he departed thence and found Elisha the son of Shaphat plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelve. And Elijah went to him and cast his mantle upon him.

And Noah, being a husbandman, went forth and planted a vineyard,

And over the workmen in the fields that tilled the ground, was Ezri the son of Chelub. And the oversight of the vineyards had Shemaiah the Ramathite. Over the wine cellars and treasure of wine was Zabdi the Shipmite. And over the olive trees and mulberry trees that were in the valleys was Baalhanan the Gederite. And over the treasure of oil was Joash. read more.
And over the oxen that fed in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite. And over the oxen in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai. And over the camels Obil the Ishmaelite. And over the asses was Jehdiah the Meronothite. And over the sheep was Jaziz the Hagrite. All these were the rulers of the substance of king David.

Neither shall sowing time and harvest, cold, and heat, summer and winter, day and night cease, as long as the earth endureth."

And she proceeded forth and bare his brother Abel: And Abel became a shepherd, and Cain became a plowman.

And he put forth a similitude unto them, saying, "The ground of a certain rich man brought forth fruits plenteously,

Canst thou bind the yoke about him in thy furrows, to make him plow after thee in the valleys?

They shall sow wheat, and reap thorns. They shall take heritage in possession, but it shall do them no good. And ye shall be confounded of your own winnings, because of the great wrath of the LORD."

And he built towers in the wilderness and digged many wells. For he had much cattle, both in the valley and also in the plain; and plowmen and vinedressers in the mountains and in Carmel, for he loved husbandry.

And he departed thence and found Elisha the son of Shaphat plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelve. And Elijah went to him and cast his mantle upon him.

And he built towers in the wilderness and digged many wells. For he had much cattle, both in the valley and also in the plain; and plowmen and vinedressers in the mountains and in Carmel, for he loved husbandry.

And that he may do it right, his God teacheth him and showeth him.

I made gorgeous fair works. I builded me houses, and planted vineyards. I made me orchards and gardens of pleasure, and planted trees in them of all manner fruits. I made pools of water, to water the green and fruitful trees withal.

For thus sayeth the LORD, to all Judah and Jerusalem, "Plow your land, and sow not among the thorns.

And if any man have planted a vineyard and have not made it common, let him go and return again unto his house, lest he die in the battle and another make it common.

And Noah, being a husbandman, went forth and planted a vineyard,

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience there upon, until he receive the early and the latter rain.

The husbandman that laboureth must first receive of the fruits.

Then said he to his disciples, "The harvest is great, but the laborers are few:

And she proceeded forth and bare his brother Abel: And Abel became a shepherd, and Cain became a plowman.

And she proceeded forth and bare his brother Abel: And Abel became a shepherd, and Cain became a plowman.

The children of Reuben and the children of Gad had an exceeding great multitude of cattle. And when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, that it was an apt place for cattle,

And eastward he inhabited until the wilderness, even upon the river Euphrates, for their cattle was much in the land of Gilead.

Then said Boaz unto Ruth, "Hearest thou my daughter: go to no other field to gather, neither go from hence; but abide by my maidens.

Marvel not at me that I am so black: For why? The sun hath shined upon me. My mother's children had evil will at me, they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.