85 Bible Verses about Occupations

A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD shall build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the LORD shall keep the city, the watchman waketh in vain.

The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

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

And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is 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 set at naught by you builders, which is 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 buildeth upon it. But let every man take heed how he buildeth upon it. For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man buildeth upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;read more.
Every man's work will be made manifest: for the day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will try every man's work, of what sort it is. If any man's work abideth which he hath built upon it, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he will suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath built the house, hath more honor than the house.

To you therefore who believe he is precious: but to them who are disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

And with him was Aholiab, 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 layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

And to masons, and hewers of stone, and to buy timber and hewed stone to repair the breaches 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, which is in the house of the LORD, to repair the breaches of the house, To 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 brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass; And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth; And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel.read more.
And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song, because he was skillful.

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

The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to 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 lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea-side: he will tell thee what thou oughtest 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 to Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shear-jashub thy 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 Rab-saris 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 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 Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem against 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 smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yes, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.

Now there was no smith 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 share, and his colter, and his ax, and his mattock. Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the colters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.

Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith's son, to the place of the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the gate Miphkad, and to the ascent of the corner. And between the ascent of the corner to the sheep-gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants.

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty six talents of gold, Besides what he had of the merchants, 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 linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price. And they fetched up, and brought 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 means.

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 I set some of my servants at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day. So the merchants and sellers of all kind of wares lodged without Jerusalem once or twice. Then I testified against them, and said to them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth they came no more on the sabbath.

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

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking goodly 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 that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome) and he came to them. And because he was of the same occupation, he abode with them, and wrought (for by their occupation they were tent-makers)

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 to Syria: he was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper.

And when Jesus had entered into Capernaum, there came to him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick with the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith to him, I will come and heal him.read more.
The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant will be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say to you, I have not found so 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 children of the kingdom shall be cast out into utter darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said to the centurion, Depart; and as thou hast believed, so be it done to thee. 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 to 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 loveth our nation, and he hath 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 to him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof; Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come to thee; but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say to one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turned himself about and said to the people that followed him, I say to you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well that had been sick.

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

There was a certain man in Cesarea, 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 to him, Cornelius.read more.
And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said to him, Thy prayers and thy 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 lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea-side: he will tell thee what thou oughtest to do. And when the angel who spoke to Cornelius had 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 to them, he sent them to Joppa.

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

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

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

And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; 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 said Micah, Now I know that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite for my priest.

And there came a man of God to Eli, and said to him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear to the house of thy 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 thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at my offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honorest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?

And these were the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest, Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehosaphat 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 principal officer, and the king's friend:

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

And Jesus saith to him, See thou tell no man; but go, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.

But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all its vessels, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all its vessels, and they shall minister to it, and shall encamp around the tabernacle. And when the tabernacle moveth forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

And David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of music, psalteries, 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 record, 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 porters, and the Nethinims, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the first-fruits, and for the tithes, to gather into 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 that waited. And both the singers and the porters kept the ward of their God, and the ward 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 were chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.read more.
And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, every day his portion: and they sanctified holy things to the Levites; and the Levites sanctified them to 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 to the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone. And the watchman called, and told the king. And the king said, If he is alone there is tidings 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 bringeth tidings.read more.
And the watchman said, I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good news.

The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: 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 thy people, and say to them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their borders, and set him for their watchman: If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he shall blow the trumpet, and warn the people; Then whoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword shall come and take 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 taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman shall see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword shall come, and take 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 to you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheep-fold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth by the door, is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

And Pharaoh said to his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said to Pharaoh, Thy 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 thither 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 to them, My brethren, whence are ye? And they said, We are from Haran. And he said to them, Know ye 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, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep. And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be collected: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them. And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks are collected, and till they roll the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep. And while he was yet speaking 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 to his brethren, and to his father's house, I will go up, and show Pharaoh, and say to him, My brethren, and my father's house, who were in the land of Canaan are come to me. And the men are shepherds, for their employment hath 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 ye shall say, The occupation of thy servants hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to 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 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 trench, 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 herdmen that belonged to Saul.

The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen 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 around them; and they were in great fear. And the angel said to them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.read more.
For to you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign to you; Ye 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 towards men. And it came to pass, when the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even to Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known to 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 entereth by the door, is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth 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 hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive: But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am a husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.

Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground? When he hath made even the face of it, doth he not cast abroad the vetches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat, and the appointed barley, and the rye in their place?

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

Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vine-dressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field hath perished.

And he spoke many things to them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:read more.
And when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had not root, they withered. 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 hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, some thirty-fold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Hearken; Behold, a sower went out to sow: And it came to pass as he sowed, some fell by the way-side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it. 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 had risen, 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 other fell on good ground, and yielded 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 way side; 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, 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 hundred-fold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Hear another parable; There was a certain householder, who planted a vineyard, and hedged it around, and digged a wine-press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a remote country:

And he began to speak to them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged a place for the wine-vat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.

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

The husbandman that laboreth must be first partaker of the fruits.

Be patient, therefore, brethren, to the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receiveth the early and the latter rain.

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

The fishers also shall mourn, and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish.