14 Bible Verses about Trade

Then Jesus entered the Temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold things there. He upset the tables of the cashiers [i.e., those who exchanged foreign coins] and the benches of those who sold pigeons [for sacrifices].

Then they entered Jerusalem and Jesus went into the Temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold [animals for sacrifice]. He upset the tables of the cashiers [i.e., those who exchanged foreign coins] and the benches of those who sold pigeons [for sacrifices]. And He would not [even] allow anyone to carry a container [of goods] through the Temple [area].

Then Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out those who sold [things there],

There in the Temple [area] He found people selling oxen, sheep and pigeons. [i.e., for use as sacrifices]. Also cashiers were sitting there. [Note: These people exchanged foreign coins so visitors to Jerusalem could make purchases and pay taxes]. Then Jesus made a whip out of strands of rope and drove all of the sheep and oxen out of the Temple [area], dumped out the cashiers' money and overturned their tables. He said to those who were selling the pigeons, "Take these things out of here, and quit making my Father's house [i.e., the Temple] a merchandise mart."

And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality with her, and indulged in luxurious living with her, will cry and mourn over her when they see the smoke of her burning [i.e., the city of Babylon. See verse 2]. They will stand far away, out of fear over her torment [Note: They will keep their distance for fear of becoming involved in the torment themselves], saying, 'It is too bad for the great, strong city of Babylon! Your judgment has come in a single hour.' "And the [wholesale] merchants of the earth cry and mourn over her, for no one buys their cargoes [of goods] anymore:read more.
goods made of gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, expensive linen, purple [cloth], silk and scarlet [cloth]. [No one buys their] scented wood products, their articles made from ivory and expensive woods [i.e., furniture], their articles of brass, iron and marble. [No one buys their] cinnamon, spices, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, [olive] oil, flour and wheat. [No one buys their] cattle, sheep, horses, wagons, or the bodies and souls [i.e., the very lives] of people [i.e., slaves used for all purposes]. "The [late summer] fruit that you [i.e., the people of Babylon] longed for is gone from you, and all of your luxurious and glamorous things have vanished from you, never to be found again. The store owners who sold these things and were made wealthy from her [i.e., from the prosperous trade with Babylon] will stand far away, out of fear over her [See verse 10], crying and mourning, saying, 'It is too bad for the great city that was dressed in expensive linen and purple and scarlet [clothing], and that was adorned with gold, precious stones and pearl [jewelry]! For in a single hour [all] such great wealth was wasted.' Then all the ships' captains [Note: This word is literally "pilots"], passengers, crewmen and others who work in the maritime shipping industry stood at a distance and called out as they watched the smoke of the burning [city], 'What city was ever as great as this one?' And they threw dust on their heads, and lamented and cried out loud, saying, 'It is too bad for the great city, from which all ocean shipping companies got rich on her wealth! For in a single hour she was wasted. Be glad, heaven, and you saints, and you apostles, and you prophets, for God has brought judgment on her for you [i.e., for the way she treated you].'" Then a mighty angel picked up a rock the size of a huge millstone and threw it into the ocean, saying, "This is how the great city of Babylon will be violently thrown down and will never be found again. And the sound of harp-players and musicians and flute-players and trumpet-players will never be heard in you again. And no workers of any trade will be found in you again, and the sound of a [flour] mill [grinding] will never be heard in you again. And the light of a lamp will never shine in you again. And the voices of the groom and bride will never be heard in you again. For your [retail] merchants were the great men of the earth, and all the nations were deceived by your sorceries. And the blood of the prophets and the saints and all [others] who were killed on earth was found in her."

And he called out with a loud voice, saying, "Fallen! The great Babylon has fallen, and has become a place where demons live, and a haunt for every evil spirit and every filthy and obnoxious bird {{Some ancient manuscripts add "and every filthy and obnoxious animal"}}. For all the nations have drunk [or, "have been forced to drink"] the wine of her passionate sexual immorality [See 14:8], and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her and the [retail] merchants of the earth became rich from her excessive luxury."

Come on now, you people who are saying, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this [or that] city, spend a year there, do business and make some money." [For actually] you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. What is your life? For you are [like] a mist that appears briefly and then vanishes. Instead, you should be saying, "If it is what the Lord wants, we will live and do this or that."read more.
But, as it is, you people are boasting in your arrogance [and] all such boasting is evil.

for sexually immoral people, for homosexuals, for kidnappers, for liars, and for people who give false testimony. And [law is for] everything else that is against the sound teaching

[No one buys their] cinnamon, spices, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, [olive] oil, flour and wheat. [No one buys their] cattle, sheep, horses, wagons, or the bodies and souls [i.e., the very lives] of people [i.e., slaves used for all purposes].

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is similar to a [retail] merchant searching to buy some fine pearls. When he found an extremely valuable one he went and sold all that he owned and bought it.

"For the kingdom of heaven is similar to a man who planned to go on a trip to a distant country, so called his servants and entrusted to each of them a large sum of money [Note: The narrative that follows suggests that the man was turning over some of his assets to financial managers to invest for him]. He gave one servant five talents [Note: This 'talent' was a large sum of money in the form of a certain weight of silver. It was the equivalent of sixty years of a farm laborer's wages, or about $750,000 in income]. He gave two talents to another servant and one talent to another. He gave to each one an amount in keeping with his ability [to invest it wisely], and then left on his trip. The one with the five talents soon invested the money in business transactions which netted him five more.read more.
In the same way the one who was given two talents made two more. But the one who was given one talent went and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money.

So, he called ten of his slaves and gave each of them a sum of money [Note: The amount of each sum was equivalent to one hundred days of a farm laborer's pay, or about $7,000 in 1994]. [Then] he said to them, 'Invest this money until I return.'

for you were bought [by God] for a price. So, honor God with your [physical] body.