85 Bible Verses about Occupations

{A song of the stairs} Except the LORD build the house, their labour is but lost that build it. Except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

The same stone which the builders refused, is become the headstone in the corner.

Jesus said unto them, "Did ye never read in the scriptures? 'The same stone which the builders refused, the same is set in the principal part of the corner: this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.'

Have ye not read this scripture? 'The stone which the builders did refuse, is made the chief stone in the corner:

And he beheld them and said, "What meaneth this then that is written, 'The stone that the builders refused, the same is made the head cornerstone?'

This is the stone cast aside of you builders which is set in the chief place of the corner.

According to the grace of God given unto me, as a wise builder have I laid the foundation; and another hath built thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth upon. For other foundation can no man lay, than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man build on this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, timber, hay, or stubble:read more.
every man's work shall appear. For the day shall declare it, and it shall be showed in fire, and the fire shall try every man's work what it is. If any man's work, that he hath built upon, abide; he shall receive a reward. If any man's work burn; he shall suffer loss. But he shall be safe himself, nevertheless yet as it were through fire.

And this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses; Inasmuch as he which hath prepared the house, hath most honour in the house.

Unto you therefore which believe is he precious: but unto them which believe not, the stone which the builders refused, the same is made the headstone in the corner

and with him Oholiab son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan, a cunning graver and a worker of needle work in jacinth, scarlet, purple and bysse.

And he made the tunicle unto the ephod of woven work and all together of jacinth,

She layeth her fingers to the spindle, and her hand taketh hold of the rock.

and to masons and hewers of stone, to buy timber and free stone, to repair the decay in the house of the LORD; and all that, that needeth repairing in the house.

and let them deliver it into the hands of the workmen that have the oversight of the house of the LORD, which shall give it to them that work upon the house of the LORD, to repair the decayed places thereof - even unto carpenters and masons, and for to buy timber and free stone to repair the house.

Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And his brethren be called, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?

Heman, Asaph and Ethan sang with cymbals of brass to make a sound. And Zachariah, Uzziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah sang with psalteries on an Alamoth. And Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obededom, Jeiel, and Azaziah sang with harps an eight above to courage with all.read more.
And Chenaniah the chief of the Levites was master of the song and taught to sing, for he was a man of understanding.

And with the said Heman and Jeduthun were trumpets and sounding cymbals, and instruments of the melody of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were porters.

The LORD God is my strength, he shall make my feet as the feet of harts: and he which giveth the victory, shall bring me to my high places, singing upon my psalms.

And it fortuned that he tarried many days in Joppa, with one Simon, a tanner.

He lodgeth with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside. He shall 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 kindreds of the households of them that wrought bysse in the house of Ashbea.

Then said God unto Isaiah, "Go meet Ahaz, thou and thy son Shearjashub, at the head of the over pole, in the foot path by the fuller's ground,

And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh, from Lachish, to king Hezekiah with a great Host to Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem, and went and stood by the conduit of the uppermost pool, which is in the way to the fuller's field,

And the king of the Assyrians sent Rabshakeh from Lachish toward Jerusalem, against king Hezekiah, with a grievous Host; which set him by the conduit of the over pool, in the way that goeth through the fuller's land.

The smith taketh iron, and tempereth it with hot coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and maketh it with all the strength of his arms: yea, sometimes he is faint for very hunger, and so thirsty, that he hath no more power.

But there was no smith throughout the land of Israel. For the Philistines thought that then the Hebrews might make them swords or spears. And therefore must all Israel go down to the Philistines, to mend every man his share, his mattock, his axe or his sickle: as oft as the edges of the sickles, mattocks, dung forks, and axes were blunt, and also to mend their goods.

Behold, I make the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and he maketh a weapon after his handy work. I make also the waster to destroy:

After him builded Malchijah the goldsmith's son, until the house of the Nethinims, and of the merchants over against the council gate, and to the parlor in the corner. And between the parlor of the corner unto the Sheepgate builded the goldsmiths and the merchants.

The weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred three score and six talents of gold, besides that he had of chapmen and merchants of apothecaries and of all the kings of Arabia and of the lords of the country.

And the horses which Solomon had, were brought him out of Egypt from Kue. The king's merchants fetched them out at Kue at a price. They came and brought out of Egypt a chariot for five hundred sicles, and a horse for one hundred and fifty. And so brought they to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Syria through the hands of the said merchants.

And it fortuned, that when the ports of Jerusalem began to be dark in the evening before the Sabbath, I commanded to shut the gates, and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the Sabbath day. Then remained the chapmen and merchants once or twice overnight without Jerusalem with all manner of wares. Then reproved I them sore, and said unto them, "Why tarry ye all night about the wall? If ye do it once again, I will lay hands upon you." From that time forth came they no more on the Sabbath.

But the merchant hath a false weight in his hand, he hath a pleasure to occupy extortion.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant, that seeketh good pearls, which when he had found one precious pearl, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

After that, 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 the Emperor Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome. And he drew unto them. And because he was of the same craft he abode with them and wrought: their craft was to make tents.

Naaman, captain of the Host to the king of Syria, was great with his master and well taken: for through him the LORD saved Syria. And he was an active man, and yet a leper.

When Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a certain Centurion, and besought him, saying, "Master, my servant lieth sick at home of the palsy, and is grievously pained." And Jesus said unto him, "I will come and heal him."read more.
The Centurion answered and said, "Sir, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I also myself am a man under power, and have soldiers under me: 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 that, he marveled, and said to them that followed him, "Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith: no, not in Israel. I say therefore unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall rest with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven; And the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into the utter darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Then Jesus said unto the Centurion, "Go thy way; and as thou believest, so be it unto thee." And his servant was healed the selfsame hour.

When he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum. And the servant of a certain Centurion was sick, and ready to die, whom he made much of. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.read more.
And they came to Jesus and besought him instantly, saying, "He is worthy that thou shouldest do this for him. For he loveth our nation, and hath built us a synagogue." And Jesus went with them. And when he was not far from the house, the Centurion sent to him his friends, saying unto him, "Lord trouble not thyself, for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof. Wherefore I thought not myself worthy to come unto thee: but say the word and my servant shall be whole. For I likewise am a man under power, and have under me soldiers, and I say unto 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 this, he marveled at him, and turned him about and said to the people that followed him, "I say unto you, I have not found so great faith: No, not in Israel, certainly." And they that were sent, turned back home again, and found the servant that was sick whole.

The soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, "And what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do violence to no man: neither trouble any man wrongfully: But be content with your wages."

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a captain of the soldiers of Italy, a devout man, and one that feared God with all his household, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed God always. The same man saw in a vision evidently, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming into him, and saying unto him, "Cornelius."read more.
When he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, "What is it Lord?" He said unto him, "Thy prayers and thy alms are come up into remembrance before God. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon named also Peter. He lodgeth with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside. He shall tell thee, what thou oughtest to do." When the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him, and told them all the matter, and sent them to Joppa.

Thou therefore suffer affliction as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with worldly business; and that, because he would please him that hath chosen him to be a soldier.

And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were borne: Manasseh and Ephraim which Asenath the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On bare unto him.

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine. And he being the priest of the most highest God, blessed him, saying,

Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done unto Moses and to Israel his people; how that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.

Moreover, speak unto all that are wise hearted, which I have filled with the spirit of wisdom: that they make Aaron's raiment to consecrate him with, that he may minister unto me.

And put upon Aaron the holy vestments.

And Micah filled the hand of the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and continued in the house of Micah. Then said Micah, "Now I am sure that the LORD will be good unto me, seeing I have a Levite to my priest."

And there came a man of God unto Eli and said unto him, "Thus sayeth the LORD, 'I appeared unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt, in Pharaoh's house. And I chose thy father out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest for to offer upon mine altar and to burn cense, and to wear an ephod before me. And I gave unto the house of thy father all the offerings of the children of Israel. Wherefore kick ye against my sacrifice and against mine offering which I command in the tabernacle, and honourest thy children above me, and make yourselves fat of the first fruits of all the offerings of Israel my people?'

And these were his lords: Azariah the son of Zadok the priest; Elihoreph and Ahijah the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host; And Zadok and Abiathar were the priests;read more.
And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the general receivers; And Zabud the son of Nathan was a waiter and the king's companion; And Ahishar, the steward of household;

For the priest's lips should be sure knowledge, that men may seek the law at his mouth, for he is a messenger of the LORD of Hosts.

And Jesus said unto him, "See thou tell no man; but go, and show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, to be offered in witness to them."

But thou shalt appoint the Levites unto the habitation of witness, and to all the apparel thereof and unto all that longeth thereto. For they shall bear the tabernacle and all the ordinance thereof, and they shall minister it and shall pitch their tents round about it. And when the tabernacle goeth forth, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is pitched, they shall set it up: for if any stranger come near, he shall die.

And David spake to the chief heads of the Levites, that they should appoint of their brethren to sing with instruments of music: psalteries, harps and cymbals that sounded, and to sing on high with Joyfulness.

And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the LORD, and to repeat, and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel:

So the priests and the Levites, and certain of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

At the same time were there men appointed over the treasure chests - wherein were the Heave offerings, the firstlings and the tithes - that they should gather them out of the fields about the cities, to distribute them unto the priests and Levites according to the law: for Judah was glad of the priests, and Levites, that they stood and waited upon the office of their God, and the office of the purification. And the singers and porters stood after the commandment of David and of Solomon his son: for in the time of David and Asaph, were the chief singers founded, and the songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.read more.
In the time of Zerubbabel, and Nehemiah, did all Israel give portions unto the singers and porters, every day his portion, and they gave things hallowed unto the Levites, and the Levites gave things that were sanctified, unto the children of Aaron.

And likewise a Levite, when he was come nigh to the place, went and looked on him, and passed by.

And David sat between the two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes and saw: and behold, there came a man running alone. And the watchman called and told the king. And the king said, "If he come alone, there is tidings in his mouth." And he came and drew nigh. And the watchman saw another man running, and called unto the porter and said, "Behold, there cometh another running alone." And the king answered, "He is also a tidings bringer."read more.
And the watchman said, "Me thinketh 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 tidings."

The heavy burden of Dumah. He calleth unto me, out of of Seir, "Watchman, what hast thou espied by night? Watchman, what hast thou espied by night?" The watchman answered, "The morning cometh, and so doth the night. If ye will ask any question, then ask it, return and come again."

For his watchmen are all blind, they have altogether no understanding. They are all dumb dogs, no being able to bark; they are sleepery, sluggish, and lie snorting.

"Thou son of man, Speak to the children of thy people, and tell them, 'When I send a sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their country, and set him to be their watchman: The same man, when he seeth the sword come upon the land, shall blow the trumpet, and warn the people. If a man now hear the noise of the trumpet and will not be warned, and the sword come and take him away: his blood shall be upon his own head.read more.
For he heard the sound of the trumpet, and would not take heed, therefore his blood be upon him. But if he will receive warning, he shall save his life. Again, if the watchman see the sword come, and show it not with the trumpet, so that the people is not warned: if the sword come then, and take any man from among them: the same shall be taken away in his own sin, but his blood will I require of the watchman's hand.'

Verily, verily I say unto you, He that entereth not in by the door, into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way: the same is a thief and a robber. He that goeth in by the door, is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth the door, and the sheep hear his voice; And he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, "What is your occupation?" And they said unto Pharaoh, "Feeders of sheep are thy servants, both we and also our fathers."

Then Jacob lift up his feet, and went toward the east country. And as he looked about, behold there was a well in the field, and three flocks of sheep lay thereby - for at that well were the flocks watered - and there lay a great stone at the well mouth. And the manner was to bring the flocks thither, and to roll the stone from the well's mouth and to water the sheep, and to put the stone again upon the well's mouth unto his place.read more.
And Jacob said unto them, "Brethren, whence be ye?" And they said, "Of Haran are we." And he said unto them, "Know ye Laban, the son of Nahor?" And they said, "We know him." And he said unto them, "Is he in good health?" And they said, "He is in good health: and behold, his daughter Rachel cometh with the sheep." And he said, "Lo, it is yet a great while to night, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water the sheep and go and feed them." And they said, "We may not, until all the flocks be brought together, and the stone be rolled from the well's mouth, and so we water our sheep." While he yet talked with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she kept them. As soon as Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother, he went and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother.

And Joseph said unto his brethren and unto his father's house, "I will go and show Pharaoh, and tell him that my brethren and my father's house which were in the land of Canaan are come unto me, and how they are shepherds," - for they were men of cattle - "and they have brought their sheep and their oxen and all that they have with them. If Pharaoh call you and ask you what your occupation is,read more.
say, 'Thy servants have been occupied about cattle, from our childhood unto this time: both we and our fathers,' that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen. For an abomination unto the Egyptians are all that feed sheep."

The priest of Midian had seven daughters which came and drew water and filled the troughs, for to water their father's sheep. And the shepherds came and drove them away: But Moses stood up and helped them and watered their sheep.

And David rose up early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper, and took and went, as Jesse had commanded him, and came where the host lay. And the host was going out in array, and shouted in the battle:

And there was there, the same day, a certain man of the servants of Saul abiding before the LORD named Doeg; an Edomite, the chiefest of Saul's herdsmen.

These are the sermons that were showed unto Amos, which was one of the shepherds at Tekoa, upon Israel, in the time of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the time of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

And there were in the same region shepherds abiding in the field, and watching their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord stood hard by them, and the brightness of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. But the angel said unto them, "Be not afraid: For behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, that shall come to all the people:read more.
for unto you is born this day in the city of David a saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And take this for a sign: ye shall find the child swaddled, and laid in a manger." And straightway there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly soldiers, lauding God, and saying, "Glory to God on high: and peace on the earth, and unto men, rejoicing." And it fortuned, as soon as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, "Let us go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that is happened, which the Lord hath showed unto us." And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe laid in a manger. And when they had seen it, they published abroad the saying, which was told them of that child. And all that heard it wondered, at those things which were told them of the shepherds.

He that goeth in by the door, is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth the door, and the sheep hear his voice; And he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he hath sent forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: For they know his voice.

And then shall those prophets be confounded, everyone of his vision when he prophesieth: neither shall they wear sackcloth anymore, to deceive men withal. But he shall be fain to say, 'I am no Prophet: I am a husbandman, for so am I taught by Adam from my youth up.'

Goeth not the husbandman ever in due season earnestly to his land? He moweth and ploweth his ground to sow. And when he hath made it plain, he soweth it with fitches or cumin. He soweth the wheat and Barley in their place, Milium and Rye also in their place.

Thou shalt plant vines again upon the hills of Samaria, and the grape gathers shall plant and sing.

The husbandmen and the wine gardeners shall look piteously, and make lamentation for the wheat, wine and barley; and because the harvest upon the field is so clean destroyed.

And he spake many things to them in similitudes, saying, "Behold, the sower went forth to sow. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and the fowls came, and devoured it up. Some fell upon stony ground where it had not much earth, and anon it sprung up, because it had no depth of earth:read more.
And when the sun was up, it caught heat, and for lack of rooting withered away. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprung up and choked it. Part fell in good ground, and brought forth good fruit: some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Whosoever hath ears to hear, let him hear."

"Hearken to. Behold; The sower went out to sow, and it fortuned as he sowed, that some fell by the wayside, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. Some fell on a stony ground: where it had not much earth: and by and by sprang up, because it had not depth of earth:read more.
but as soon as the sun was up, it caught heat: and because it had not rooting it withered away. And some fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, so that it gave no fruit. And some fell upon good ground: and did yield fruit that sprang and grew: and brought forth some thirty fold, some sixty fold, and some a hundred fold."

"A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and it was trodden under feet, and the fowls of the air devoured it up. And some fell on stone, and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moistness. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.read more.
And some fell on good ground, and sprang up and bare fruit, a hundred fold." And as he said these things, he cried, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

"Hearken another similitude. There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and made a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a strange country:

And he began to speak unto them in similitudes. "A certain man planted a vineyard, and compassed it with a hedge, and ordained a winepress, and built a tower in it, and let it out to hire unto husbandmen, and went into a strange country.

Then began he to put forth to the people this similitude, "A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to farmers, and went himself into a strange country for a great season.

The husbandman that laboureth must first receive of the fruits.

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience there upon, until he receive the early and the latter rain.

the which when it is full, men draw to land, and sit and gather the good into their vessels, and cast the bad away.

The fishers shall mourn, all such as cast angles in the water shall complain, and they that spread their nets in the water shall be faint hearted.