85 Bible Verses about Occupations

A Song of degrees for Solomon. Unless Jehovah builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless Jehovah keeps the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

The Stone which the builders refused has become the Head of the corner.

Jesus said to them, Did you never read in the Scriptures, "The stone which the builders rejected, this One 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 looked at them and said, What then is this which is written, "The Stone which the builders rejected, the same has become the Head of the corner?

This is the Stone which you builders have counted worthless, and He has become the Head of the Corner.

According to the grace of God which is given to me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let every man be careful how he builds on it. For any other foundation can no one lay than the one being laid, who is Jesus Christ. And if anyone builds on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble,read more.
each one's work shall be revealed. For the Day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try each one's work as to what kind it is. If anyone's work which he built remains, he shall receive a reward. If anyone's work shall be burned up, he shall suffer loss. But he shall be saved, yet so as by fire.

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

Therefore to you who believe is the honor. But to those who are disobedient, He is the Stone which the builders rejected; this One came to be the Head of the corner,

And with him was Aholiab the 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 bleached linen.

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

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

and to masons and cutters of stone, and to buy timber and cut stone to repair the breaks of the house of Jehovah, and for all that went forth for the house, to repair it.

And let them deliver it into the hand of the workers who have the oversight of the house of Jehovah. And let them give it to the workers who are in the house of Jehovah, in order to repair the breaks of the house, to carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and cut 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,

And the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were chosen to sound with cymbals of bronze; and Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with harps set to Alamoth. And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, were to lead with lyres on the octave.read more.
And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song. He instructed about the song, because he was skillful.

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

Jehovah the Lord is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds' feet, and He will make me to walk on my high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

And it was many days that he remained in Joppa, with one Simon, a tanner.

He is staying with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the seaside. He will tell you what you must do.

The sons of Shelah the son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of those who worked fine linen, from the house of Ashbea,

Then Jehovah said to Isaiah, Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the Fuller's Field.

And the king of Assyria sent Tartan, and the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the cupbearers from Lachish, to King Hezekiah with a great army against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they had come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the Fuller's Field.

And the king of Assyria sent the chief of the cupbearers from Lachish to Jerusalem, to King Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the Fuller's Field.

He engraves iron with a tool. He works in the coals, and forms it with hammers, and works it with the strength of his arms. Then, he is hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water, and is weak.

And there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel. For the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears. But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, each man to sharpen his plowshare, and his mattock, and his axe, and his coulter. And there was the charge of a pim for the plowshares, and for the mattocks, and for the three-pronged forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the plowshares.

Behold, I have created the smith who blows the coals in the fire, and who brings out a tool for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

After him Malchiah the goldsmith's son repaired to the place of the temple-slaves, and of the merchants, across from the Miphkad Gate, and to the going up of the corner. And between the going up of the corner to the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and the merchants repaired.

And the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold, apart from the merchant men, and and from the traffic of the traders, and from all the kings of Arabia, and from the governors of the lands.

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

And it happened when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and commanded that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I set some of my servants at the gates, so that there should be no burden brought in on the Sabbath day. And the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods stayed the night outside Jerusalem once or twice. And I testified against them, and said to them, Why do you stay around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath.

He is a merchant; the scales of deceit are in his hand; he loves to oppress.

Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls; who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

And after these things Paul departed from Athens and came to Corinth. And finding 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) Paul came to them. And because he was of the same trade, he stayed and worked with them; for they were tentmakers by occupation.

And Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and exalted man with his master, because Jehovah had given deliverance to Syria by him. He was also a mighty man, but a leper.

And when Jesus had entered into Capernaum, a centurion came to him, beseeching Him, and saying, Lord, my son lies at home paralyzed and grievously tormented. And Jesus says to 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 only speak the word, and my boy will be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this 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, He marvelled and said to those who followed, Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say to you that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of Heaven. But the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said to the centurion, Go. And as you have believed, so let it be to you. And his boy was healed in that hour.

And when He had ended all His words in the ears of the people, He entered into Capernaum. And a certain servant of a centurion who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent the elders of the Jews to Him, begging Him that He would come and heal his servant.read more.
And coming to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that he was worthy, he for whom You give this; for, they said, He loves our nation, and he has built us a synagogue. Then Jesus went with them. But He being yet not far off from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, Lord, do not trouble Yourself. For I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. Therefore neither did I think myself worthy to come to You; but say a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers. And I say to one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it. And hearing these things, Jesus marveled at him. And turning to the crowd following Him, He said, I say to you, I have not found such faith, no, not in Israel. And they who were sent, returning to the house, found the sick servant well.

And the soldiers also asked of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said to them, Do not forcibly extort anyone, nor accuse any falsely. And be content with your wages.

And a certain man named Cornelius was in Caesarea, a centurion of the Italian cohort, one devout and fearing God, with all his household, both doing many merciful deeds to the people, and praying continually to God. About the ninth hour of the day he saw plainly in a vision an angel of God coming to him and saying to him, Cornelius!read more.
And he was gazing at him, and becoming terrified, he said, What is it, lord? And he said to him, Your prayers and your merciful deeds have come up for a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa and call for Simon, whose last name is Peter. He is staying with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the seaside. He will tell you what you must do. And when the angel who spoke to Cornelius departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from those who waited on him continually. And explaining all things to them, he sent them to Joppa.

Therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one who wars tangles with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who chose him to be a soldier.

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

And Melchizedek the 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, that Jehovah had brought Israel out of Egypt,

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

And you shall put the holy garments on Aaron, and anoint him and sanctify him, so that he may minister to 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 Micah said, Now I know that Jehovah will do me good, since I have a Levite as my priest.

And there came a man of God to Eli, and said to him, So says Jehovah: Did I plainly appear to 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 to the house of your father all the offerings made by fire from the sons of Israel? Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering, which I have commanded in My house? Do you honor your sons above Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?

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

For the priest's lips should guard knowledge, and they should seek the Law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of Jehovah of Hosts.

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

But you shall set the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all its vessels, and over all its things. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its vessels. And they shall serve it, and shall camp around the tabernacle. And when the tabernacle sets forth, the Levites shall take it down. And when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. And the stranger who comes near shall die.

And David spoke to the chief of the Levites to choose their brothers to be the singers with instruments of music, lyres, and harps, and cymbals, sounding by lifting the voice with joy.

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

And the priests, and the Levites, and many of the people, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the temple slaves, lived in their cities. And all Israel in their cities.

And at that time some were chosen over the rooms for the treasuries, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather to them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the Law for the priests and Levites. For Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites who waited. And both the singers and the gatekeepers kept the charge of their God, and the charge of the cleansing, according to the command of David and of Solomon his son. For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.read more.
And all Israel gave the portions of the singers and the gatekeepers, every day its portion, in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah. And they set the holy things apart for the Levites, and the Levites set them apart for the sons of Aaron.

And in the same way a Levite, also being at the place, coming and seeing him, he passed on the opposite side.

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

The burden against Dumah: He calls to me out of 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, and come again.

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

Son of man, speak to the sons of your people, and say to them: When I bring the sword on it, on a land, and take one man from the people of the land, of their borders, and set him for their watchman; if, when he sees the sword come on the land, he blows the trumpet and warns the people, then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword does come and take him away, his blood shall be on his own head.read more.
He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning. His blood shall be on himself. But he who takes warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman sees the sword coming, and does not blow 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 I will require his blood at the watchman's hand.

Truly, truly, I say to you, He who does not enter into the sheepfold by the door, but going up by another way, that one is a thief and a robber. But he who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The doorkeeper opens to him, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

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

And Jacob lifted his feet and went to the land of the sons of the east. And he looked, and behold, a well was in the field! And, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it, for they watered the flocks out of that well. And a great stone was upon the well's mouth. And all the flocks were gathered there. 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 to them, My brothers, where are you from? And they said, We are from Haran. And he said to them, Do you know Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him. And he said to them, Is he well? And they said, He is well. And, behold, his daughter Rachel comes with the sheep. And he said, Lo, the day is yet high. It is not yet time for gathering the cattle together. Water the sheep, and go feed them. And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks have been gathered together. And they roll the stone from the well's mouth, then we water the sheep. While he still spoke with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she kept them. And it happened when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, then Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flocks of Laban his mother's brother.

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

And the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew, 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 got up and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the barricade, and to the army which was going out to fight, and shouted for the battle.

And a man from the servants of Saul was there that day, held before Jehovah. And his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chief of Saul's herdsmen.

The words of Amos, who was among the herdsmen of Tekoa; the Word 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 in the same country there were shepherds living in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came on them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. And they were grievously afraid. And the angel said to them, Do not fear. For behold, I give to you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.read more.
For to you is born today, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this is a sign to you. You will find the babe wrapped, 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 happened as the angels departed from them into Heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Indeed, let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing which has happened, which the Lord made known to us. And hurrying they came and sought out both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger. And seeing, they publicly told about the word spoken to them concerning this Child. And all those who heard marveled about the things spoken to them by the shepherds.

But he who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The doorkeeper opens to him, 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 be in that day, the prophets shall be ashamed, each one of his vision, when he prophesies. And they shall not wear a hairy garment to deceive. But he shall say, I am no prophet; I am a man, a tiller of the ground; for a man taught me to buy from my youth.

Does the plowman plow all day to sow? Does he open and break the clods of his ground? When he has made the face of it level, does he not cast out the dill and scatter the cummin, and throw in the choice wheat and the chosen barley and the spelt in its border?

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

Be ashamed, husbandmen; howl, vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field has perished.

And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, Behold, the sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth. And they sprang up immediately, because they had no deepness of earth.read more.
And the sun rising, 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. And some fell on the good ground and yielded fruit, indeed one a hundredfold, and one sixty, and one thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, it happened that indeed some fell by the wayside, and the fowls of the air came and ate it up. And another fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth. And it sprang up at once, due to not having deepness of earth.read more.
And when the sun rose, it was scorched. And because it had no root, it withered away. And another fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And another fell on good ground and yielded fruit, going up and increasing. And one bore thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundredfold.

A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, the one fell by the roadside and was trampled; and the birds of the air devoured it. And other fell on a rock, and sprouting, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And other fell amidst thorns, and springing up with the thorns, they 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 who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Hear another parable. There was a certain housemaster who planted a vineyard and hedged it round about, and dug a winepress in it, and built a tower, and rented it to vinedressers, and went into a far country.

And He began to speak to them by parables. A man planted a vineyard, and set a fence about it, and dug a wine-vat, and built a tower, and he let it out to vinedressers, and went away.

And He began to speak to the people this parable: A certain man planted a vineyard and let it out to vinedressers. And he went into a far country for a long time.

It is right for the laboring farmer to partake first of the fruits.

Therefore be patient, brothers, until 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 the latter rain.

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

The fishermen also shall mourn, and all who drop a hook into the Nile shall wail, and those who spread nets on the waters shall droop.