85 Bible Verses about Occupations

[A song of ascents. Of Solomon.] Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain that build it: unless the LORD keeps the city, the watchman wakes, but in vain.

The stone which the builders rejected has become the head stone of the corner.

Jesus said unto them, Did you never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same has become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?

And have you not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner:

And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?

This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the head of the corner.

According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds thereon. But let every man take heed how he builds thereupon. For no other foundation can a man lay than what is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;read more.
Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall test every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he has built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, because he who has built the house has more honor than the house.

Unto you therefore who believe he is precious: but unto them who are disobedient, the stone which the builders rejected, the same is made the head of the corner,

And with him was Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a skillful workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.

And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.

She lays her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.

And to masons, and hewers of stone, and to buy timber and hewed stone to repair the damages of the house of the LORD, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it.

And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD: and let them give it to the doers of the work who are in the house of the LORD, to repair the damages of the house, Unto carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house.

Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brothers, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of bronze; And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with harps according to Alamoth; And Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with lyres according to the Sheminith, to lead.read more.
And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, in music: he instructed about the music, because he was skillful.

And with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should sound aloud, and with musical instruments of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were gatekeepers.

The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like deer's feet, and he will make me walk upon my high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.

He lodges with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the seaside: he shall tell you what you ought to do.

The sons of Shelah the son of Judah were, Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen, of the house of Ashbea,

Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, you, and Shearjashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the fuller's field;

And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rab-shakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great army against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the aqueduct from the upper pool, which is on the highway of the fuller's field.

And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field.

The blacksmith with the tongs works in the coals, and fashions it with hammers, and works it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength fails: he drinks no water, and is faint.

Now there was no blacksmith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears: But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his plowshare, and his mattock, and his ax, and his sickle. And the charge was a third of a shekel for the plowshares, and for the mattocks, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.

Behold, I have created the blacksmith that blows the coals in the fire, and that brings forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the destroyer to destroy.

After him repaired Malchijah the goldsmith's son unto the house of the Nethinim, and of the merchants, opposite the gate Hammiphkad, and to the upper chamber of the corner. And between the upper chamber of the corner unto the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants.

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold, Besides that he received of the merchantmen, and of the traffic of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.

And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and Kue: the king's merchants received them from Kue at a price. And they acquired and brought forth out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty: and so brought they out horses for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, by the merchants.

And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day. So the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside of Jerusalem once or twice. Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge you before the wall? if you do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath.

He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loves to oppress.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking fine pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and worked: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.

Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper.

And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lies at home sick, a paralytic, grievously tormented. And Jesus said unto him, I will come and heal him.read more.
The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it. When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go your way; and as you have believed, so be it done unto you. And his servant was healed in the same hour.

Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum. And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear to him, was sick, and ready to die. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.read more.
And when they came to Jesus, they besought him earnestly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this: For he loves our nation, and he has built us a synagogue. Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not yourself: for I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof: Therefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto you: but say a word, and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it. When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turned about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found such great faith, no, not in Israel. And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.

And the soldiers likewise asked of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always. He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.read more.
And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Your prayers and your alms are come up for a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: He lodges with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the seaside: he shall tell you what you ought to do. And when the angel who spoke unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually; And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.

You therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that wars entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who has chosen him to be a soldier.

And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath the daughter of Potiphera priest of On bore unto him.

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt;

And you shall speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

And you shall put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite as my priest.

And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus says the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of your father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house? And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of your father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? Why trample you on my sacrifice and on my offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honor your sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chief of all the offerings of Israel my people?

And these were the princes whom he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest, Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the army: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:read more.
And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan was priest, and the king's friend:

For the priest's lips should preserve knowledge, and they should seek the law from his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

And Jesus said unto him, See you tell no man; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

But you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle. And when the tabernacle moves forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be encamped, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that comes near shall be put to death.

And David spoke to the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of music, lyres and harps and cymbals sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.

And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, and to invoke, and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel:

So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim, dwelt in their towns, and all Israel in their towns.

And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the stores, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions required by the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites who ministered. And both the singers and the gatekeepers kept the charge of their God, and the charge of the purification, according to the commandment of David, and of Solomon his son. For in the days of David and Asaph of old there was a leader of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.read more.
And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions for the singers and the gatekeepers, every day their portion: and they set apart holy things for the Levites; and the Levites set them apart for the children of Aaron.

And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone. And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he is alone, there are tidings in his mouth. And he came rapidly, and drew near. And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the gatekeeper, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also brings tidings.read more.
And the watchman said, I think the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and comes with good tidings.

The burden concerning Dumah. He calls to me from Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning comes, and also the night: if you will inquire, inquire you: return, come.

His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man from their territory, and set him for their watchman: If when he sees the sword come upon the land, he blows the trumpet, and warns the people; Then whosoever hears the sound of the trumpet, and takes not warning; if the sword comes, and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.read more.
He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that takes warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman sees the sword come, and blows not the trumpet, and the people are not warned; if the sword comes, and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.

And Pharaoh said unto his brothers, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Your servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.

Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east. And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well's mouth. And there were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well's mouth in its place.read more.
And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, from where are you? And they said, Of Haran are we. And he said unto them, Do you know Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him. And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter comes with the sheep. And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the flocks should be gathered together: water the sheep, and go and feed them. And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep. And while he yet spoke with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep: for she kept them. And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.

And Joseph said unto his brothers, and unto his father's house, I will go up, and show Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brothers, and my father's house, who were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me; And the men are shepherds, for their trade has been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have. And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?read more.
That you shall say, Your servants' trade has been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the camp, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.

Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chief of the herdsmen that belonged to Saul.

The words of Amos, who was among the herdsmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were much afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.read more.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord has made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But he that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. And when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he has prophesied; neither shall they wear a robe of coarse hair to deceive: But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an farmer; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.

Does the plowman keep plowing all day to sow? does he keep opening and breaking the clods of his ground? When he has made level the face of it, does he not sow the dill, and scatter the cummin, and plant the wheat in rows and the barley and the spelt in their places?

You shall yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant, and shall eat them as common things.

Be ashamed, O you farmers; wail, O you vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field has perished.

And he spoke many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and immediately they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:read more.
And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But others fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Listen; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:read more.
But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And others fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some a hundred.

A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.read more.
And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bore fruit a hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, who planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into a far country:

And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and dug a place for the winepress, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into a far country.

Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it out to tenants, and went into a far country for a long time.

The farmer that labors must be first partaker of the fruits.

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.

Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.

The fishermen also shall mourn, and all they that cast hooks into the river shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish.