23 Bible Verses about Recreation

And he said unto them, "Come ye apart into the wilderness, and rest awhile." For there were many comers and goers, and that they had no leisure for so much as to eat.

Six days thou shalt do thy work and the seventh day thou shalt keep holy day, that thine ox and thine ass may rest and the son of thy maid and the stranger may be refreshed.

Six days ye shall work, and the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, a holy feast: so that ye may do no work therein, for it is the Sabbath of the LORD, wheresoever ye dwell.

And when their hearts were merry, they said, "Send for Samson and let him play before us." And they fetched Samson out of the prison house, and he played before them, and they set him between the pillars.

He was a mighty hunter in the sight of the LORD, whereof came the proverb "he is as Nimrod, that mighty hunter in the sight of the LORD."

And God was with the lad, and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

And they rose up in the morning and offered burnt offerings, and brought offerings of atonement also. And then they sat them down to eat and drink, and rose up again to play.

And thou shalt offer peace offerings and shalt eat there and rejoice before the LORD thy God.

And among these nations thou shalt be no small season, and yet shalt have no rest for the sole of thy foot. For the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart and dazing eyes and sorrow of mind.

And Samson said unto them, "I will put forth a riddle unto you. And if you can declare it within seven days of the feast and find it out, I will give you thirty shirts and thirty changes of garments: But and if you cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty shirts and thirty changes of garments." And they answered him, "Put forth thy riddle and let us hear it." And he said unto them, "Out of the eater came meat: and out of the strong came sweetness." And they could not in three days expound the riddle.read more.
And when the seventh day was come, they said unto Samson's wife, "Flatter with thine husband, that he may declare us thy riddle, or else we will burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to make us beggars? Or not?" Then Samson's wife wept unto him and said, "It cannot be but that thou hatest me and lovest me not: for thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my folk and wilt not tell me what it meaneth." And he said, "Behold, I have not told it my father, nor my mother, and should I tell it thee?" And she wept unto him seven days, while the feast lasted. And the seventh day he told her, because she lay so sore upon him. And she told it the children of her folk. And the men of the city said unto him the seventh day before the sun went down, "What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a Lion?" Then said he unto them, "If ye had not ploughed with my calf, ye had not found out my riddle."

And as they were making their hearts merry, the men of the city which were wicked, set the house round about, and thrust at the door, and spake to the man of the house, the old man, saying, "Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him." But the man of the house went out to them and said unto them, "Oh, nay my brethren, do not so wickedly seeing that this man is come into mine house: do not this folly. Behold my daughter, yet a virgin, and this man's concubine: them I will bring out unto you, and humble them, and do with them what seemeth you good: but unto this man, do not this folly."read more.
But the men would not hearken to him. Nevertheless the man took his concubine and brought her out unto them, and they had to do with her, and entreated her shamefully, all the night even unto the morning. And when the day began to spring, they let her go. And then came the woman in the dawning of the day and fell down at the door of the man's house, where her lord was, and there she lay till day.

And Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men arise and play before us." And Joab answered, "Be it."

And on the next day were gathered together the chief fathers among all the people and the priests and Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, that he should teach them the words of the law. And they found written in the law, how that the LORD had commanded by Moses that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month. And so they caused it be declared and proclaimed in all their cities, and at Jerusalem, saying, "Go up unto the mount and fetch Olive branches, and Pine branches, Myrtle branches, Palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written."read more.
And the people went up, and fetched them, and made them booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street by the Watergate, and in the street by port Ephraim. And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity, made booths, and dwelt therein. For since the time of Jeshua the son of Nun unto this day, had not the children of Israel done so, and there was very great gladness.

They send forth their children by flocks, and their sons lead the dance.

There go the ships over, and there is that Leviathan, whom thou hast made, to take his pastime therein.

Then said I thus in my heart, "Now go to, I will take mine ease and have good days." But lo, that was vanity also: insomuch that I said unto laughter, "Thou art mad," and to mirth, "What doest thou?" So I thought in my heart, to withdraw my flesh from wine, to apply my mind unto wisdom, and to comprehend foolishness until the time that among all the things which are under the Sun, I might see what were best for men to do, so long as they live under heaven.

Children are weary and faint, and the strongest men fall: But unto them that have the LORD before their eyes, shall strength be increased, Eagles wings shall grow upon them; When they run, they shall not fall; and when they go, they shall not be weary."

They seek of me righteous judgments, and will draw nigh unto God. Why have we fasted and thou hast not looked upon it? Have humbled our souls, and thou wouldest not wit it? Behold when ye fast, ye can find your own lusts, and can call cruelly on all your debtors. Ye fast to law and strive and to smite with fist wickedly. Fast not as ye now do, to make your voice to be heard upon high. Should it be such a manner of fast that I should chose? A day that a man should hurt his soul in? Or to bow down his head like a bulrush? Or to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Shouldest thou call this a fast, and a day acceptable unto the LORD?read more.
Or is not this rather the fast that I have chosen? To loose wicked bonds, and to unbind bundles of oppression? And to let the bruised go free? And that ye should break all manner yokes? Yea, and to break the bread to the hungry; and to bring the poor that are harborless unto house; and when thou seest a naked, that thou clothe him and that thou shouldest withdraw thyself from helping thine own flesh? Then should the light break out as doth the dayspring, and then health should shortly bud out. And thy righteousness shall go before thee, and the glory of the LORD would come upon thee. Then shouldest thou call, and the LORD answer; then shouldest thou cry, and he shall say, "Lo, here am I. For I the LORD thy God am merciful." Yea If thou layest away thy burdens, and holdest thy fingers, and ceasest from blasphemous talking; if thou hast compassion upon the hungry, and refreshest the troubled soul: Then shall thy light spring out in the darkness, and thy darkness shall be as the noon day. 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. Then the places that have ever been waste, shall be builded of thee: there shalt thou lay a foundation for many kindreds. Thou shalt be called the maker-up of hedges, and the builder-again of the way of the Sabbath. Yea, if thou turn thy feet from the Sabbath, so that thou do not the thing which pleaseth thyself in my holy day: then shalt thou be called unto the pleasant, holy, and glorious Sabbath of the LORD, where thou shalt be in honor - so that thou do not after thine own imagination, neither seek thine own will, nor speak thine own words. Then shalt thou have thy pleasure in the LORD, which shall carry thee high above the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the LORD's own mouth hath so promised.

ye that sing to the lute, and in playing of instruments compare yourselves unto David;

And the streets of the city shall be filled with boys and wenches playing in the streets thereof.

"But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children, which sit in the market, and call unto their fellows, and say, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; We have mourned unto you, and ye have not sorrowed.

When he was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, even as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment, called nard, that was pure and costly, and she brake the box and poured it on his head.

And also they learn to go from house to house idle, yea not idle only, but also trifling and busybodies, speaking things which are not comely.