'Work' in the Bible

By the seventh day God completed His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done.

God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it He rested from His work of creation.

No shrub of the field had yet grown on the land, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the Lord God had not made it rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground.

The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.

So the Lord God sent him away from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.

If you work the ground, it will never again give you its yield. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

Laban said to him, “Just because you’re my relative, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”

Jacob loved Rachel, so he answered Laban, “I’ll work for you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”

If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, certainly now you would have sent me off empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and my hard work, and He issued His verdict last night.”

Now one day he went into the house to do his work, and none of the household servants were there.

and made their lives bitter with difficult labor in brick and mortar and in all kinds of fieldwork. They ruthlessly imposed all this work on them.

The king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you causing the people to neglect their work? Get to your work!”

Impose heavier work on the men. Then they will be occupied with it and not pay attention to deceptive words.”

The overseers insisted, “Finish your assigned work each day, just as you did when straw was provided.”

Now get to work. No straw will be given to you, but you must produce the same quantity of bricks.”

Furthermore, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are forcing to work as slaves, and I have remembered My covenant.

You are to hold a sacred assembly on the first day and another sacred assembly on the seventh day. No work may be done on those days except for preparing what people need to eat—you may do only that.

You are to labor six days and do all your work,

but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the foreigner who is within your gates.

if he can later get up and walk around outside leaning on his staff, then the one who struck him will be exempt from punishment. Nevertheless, he must pay for his lost work time and provide for his complete recovery.

“Do your work for six days but rest on the seventh day so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave as well as the foreign resident may be refreshed.

Make two cherubim of gold; make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat.

and two chains of pure gold; you will make them of braided cord work, and attach the cord chains to the settings.

“You are to make braided chains of pure gold cord work for the breastpiece.

Prepare from these a holy anointing oil, a scented blend, the work of a perfumer; it will be holy anointing oil.

to cut gemstones for mounting, and to carve wood for work in every craft.

Observe the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Whoever profanes it must be put to death. If anyone does work on it, that person must be cut off from his people.

Work may be done for six days, but on the seventh day there must be a Sabbath of complete rest, dedicated to the Lord. Anyone who does work on the Sabbath day must be put to death.

The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was God’s writing, engraved on the tablets.

And the Lord responded: “Look, I am making a covenant. I will perform wonders in the presence of all your people that have never been done in all the earth or in any nation. All the people you live among will see the Lord’s work, for what I am doing with you is awe-inspiring.

For six days work is to be done, but on the seventh day you are to have a holy day, a Sabbath of complete rest to the Lord. Anyone who does work on it must be executed.

Everyone making an offering of silver or bronze brought it as a contribution to the Lord. Everyone who possessed acacia wood useful for any task in the work brought it.

So the Israelites brought a freewill offering to the Lord, all the men and women whose hearts prompted them to bring something for all the work that the Lord, through Moses, had commanded to be done.

to cut gemstones for mounting, and to carve wood for work in every kind of artistic craft.

He has filled them with skill to do all the work of a gem cutter; a designer; an embroiderer in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen; and a weaver. They can do every kind of craft and design artistic designs. >

Bezalel, Oholiab, and all the skilled people are to work based on everything the Lord has commanded. The Lord has given them wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work of constructing the sanctuary.”

So Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person in whose heart the Lord had placed wisdom, everyone whose heart moved him, to come to the work and do it.

Then all the craftsmen who were doing all the work for the sanctuary came one by one from the work they were doing

and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than is needed for the construction of the work the Lord commanded to be done.”

The materials were sufficient for them to do all the work. There was more than enough.

All the skilled craftsmen among those doing the work made the tabernacle with 10 curtains. Bezalel made them of finely spun linen, as well as blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, with a design of cherubim worked into them.

He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat,

This is the inventory for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, that was recorded at Moses’ command. It was the work of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

All the gold of the presentation offering that was used for the project in all the work on the sanctuary, was 2,193 pounds, according to the sanctuary shekel.

So all the work for the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was finished. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Israelites had done all the work according to everything the Lord had commanded Moses.

Moses inspected all the work they had accomplished. They had done just as the Lord commanded. Then Moses blessed them.

Next Moses set up the surrounding courtyard for the tabernacle and the altar and hung a screen for the gate of the courtyard. So Moses finished the work.

When any one of them dies and falls on anything it becomes unclean—any item of wood, clothing, leather, sackcloth, or any implement used for work. It is to be rinsed with water and will remain unclean until evening; then it will be clean.

“This is to be a permanent statute for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month you are to practice self-denial and do no work, both the native and the foreigner who resides among you.

“Work may be done for six days, but on the seventh day there must be a Sabbath of complete rest, a sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; it is a Sabbath to the Lord wherever you live.

On the first day you are to hold a sacred assembly; you are not to do any daily work.

You are to present a fire offering to the Lord for seven days. On the seventh day there will be a sacred assembly; you must not do any daily work.”

On that same day you are to make a proclamation and hold a sacred assembly. You are not to do any daily work. This is to be a permanent statute wherever you live throughout your generations.

You must not do any daily work, but you must present a fire offering to the Lord.”

On this particular day you are not to do any work, for it is a Day of Atonement to make atonement for yourselves before the Lord your God.

I will destroy among his people anyone who does any work on this same day.

You are not to do any work. This is a permanent statute throughout your generations wherever you live.

There is to be a sacred assembly on the first day; you are not to do any daily work.

You are to present a fire offering to the Lord for seven days. On the eighth day you are to hold a sacred assembly and present a fire offering to the Lord. It is a solemn gathering; you are not to do any daily work.

Let him stay with you as a hired hand or temporary resident; he may work for you until the Year of Jubilee.

the hangings of the courtyard, the screen for the entrance to the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and the altar, and the tent ropes—all the work relating to these.

Their duties involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the sanctuary utensils that were used with these, and the screen—and all the work relating to them.

The assigned duties of Merari’s descendants involved the tabernacle’s supports, crossbars, posts, bases, all its equipment, and all the work related to these,

men from 30 years old to 50 years old—everyone who is qualified to do work at the tent of meeting.

Register men from 30 years old to 50 years old, everyone who is qualified to perform service, to do work at the tent of meeting.

This is the service of the Gershonite clans regarding work and transportation duties:

“All the service of the Gershonites, all their transportation duties and all their other work, is to be done at the command of Aaron and his sons; you are to assign to them all that they are responsible to carry.

Register men from 30 years old to 50 years old, everyone who is qualified to do the work of the tent of meeting.

the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes, including all their equipment and all the work related to them. You are to assign by name the items that they are responsible to carry.

This is the service of the Merarite clans regarding all their work at the tent of meeting, under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.”

men from 30 years old to 50 years old, everyone who was qualified for work at the tent of meeting.

men from 30 years old to 50 years old, everyone who was qualified for work at the tent of meeting.

those from 30 years old to 50 years old, everyone who was qualified for work at the tent of meeting.

from 30 years old to 50 years old, everyone who was qualified to do the work of serving at the tent of meeting and transporting it.

At the Lord’s command they were registered under the direction of Moses, each one according to his work and transportation duty, and his assignment was as the Lord commanded Moses.

“Accept these from them to be used in the work of the tent of meeting, and give this offering to the Levites, to each division according to their service.”

This is the way the lampstand was made: it was a hammered work of gold, hammered from its base to its flower petals. The lampstand was made according to the pattern the Lord had shown Moses.

Aaron is to present the Levites before the Lord as a presentation offering from the Israelites, so that they may perform the Lord’s work.

From the Israelites, I have given the Levites exclusively to Aaron and his sons to perform the work for the Israelites at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on their behalf, so that no plague will come against the Israelites when they approach the sanctuary.”

After that, the Levites came to do their work at the tent of meeting in the presence of Aaron and his sons. So they did to them as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites.

“In regard to the Levites: From 25 years old or more, a man enters the service in the work at the tent of meeting.

But at 50 years old he is to retire from his service in the work and no longer serve.

He may assist his brothers to fulfill responsibilities at the tent of meeting, but he must not do the work. This is how you are to deal with the Levites regarding their duties.”

Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the Israelite community to bring you near to Himself, to perform the work at the Lord’s tabernacle, and to stand before the community to minister to them?

They are to join you and guard the tent of meeting, doing all the work at the tent, but no unauthorized person may come near you.

Look, I have selected your fellow Levites from the Israelites as a gift for you, assigned by the Lord to work at the tent of meeting.

But you and your sons will carry out your priestly responsibilities for everything concerning the altar and for what is inside the veil, and you will do that work. I am giving you the work of the priesthood as a gift, but an unauthorized person who comes near the sanctuary will be put to death.”

“Look, I have given the Levites every tenth in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work they do, the work of the tent of meeting.

The Levites will do the work of the tent of meeting, and they will bear the consequences of their sin. The Levites will not receive an inheritance among the Israelites; this is a permanent statute throughout your generations.

then you and your household may eat it anywhere. It is your wage in return for your work at the tent of meeting.

On the first day there is to be a sacred assembly; you are not to do any daily work.

On the seventh day you are to hold a sacred assembly; you are not to do any daily work.

“On the day of firstfruits, you are to hold a sacred assembly when you present an offering of new grain to the Lord at your Festival of Weeks; you are not to do any daily work.

“You are to hold a sacred assembly in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, and you are not to do any daily work. This will be a day of joyful shouting for you.

“You are to hold a sacred assembly on the tenth day of this seventh month and practice self-denial; you must not do any work.

“You are to hold a sacred assembly on the fifteenth day of the seventh month; you must not do any daily work. You are to celebrate a seven-day festival for the Lord.

“On the eighth day you are to hold a solemn assembly; you are not to do any daily work.

For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this immense wilderness. The Lord your God has been with you this past 40 years, and you have lacked nothing.’

You are to labor six days and do all your work,