Bible Verses About Labor: General references

Six days shalt thou labour, and shalt do all thy works.

But on the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: thou shalt do no work on it, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy beast, nor the stranger that is within thy gates.

For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them, and rested on the seventh day: therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.

Thou shalt not refuse the hire of the needy, and the poor, whether he be thy brother, or a stranger that dwelleth with thee in the land, and is within thy gates:

But thou shalt pay him the price of his labour the same day, before the going down of the sun, because he is poor, and with it maintaineth his life: lest he cry against thee to the Lord, and it be reputed to thee for a sin.

The kingdom of heaven is like to an householder, who went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.

And having agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

And going out about the third hour, he saw others standing in the marketplace idle.

And he said to them: Go you also into my vineyard, and I will give you what shall be just.

And they went their way. And again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did in like manner.

But about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing, and he saith to them: Why stand you here all the day idle?

They say to him: Because no man hath hired us. He saith to them: Go ye also into my vineyard.

And when evening was come, the lord of the vineyard saith to his steward: Call the labourers and pay them their hire, beginning from the last even to the first.

When therefore they were come that came about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.

But when the first also came, they thought that they should receive more: And they also received every man a penny.

And receiving it they murmured against the master of the house,

Saying: These last have worked but one hour. and thou hast made them equal to us, that have borne the burden of the day and the heats.

But he answering said to one of them: friend, I do thee no wrong: didst thou not agree with me for a penny?

Take what is thine, and go thy way: I will also give to this last even as to thee.

Or, is it not lawful for me to do what I will? Is thy eye evil, because I am good?

And that you use your endeavour to be quiet: and that you do your own business and work with your own hands, as we commanded you: and that you walk honestly towards them that are without: and that you want nothing of any man's.

And we will not have you ignorant brethren, concerning them that are asleep, that you be not sorrowful, even as others who have no hope.

For yourselves know how you ought to imitate us. For we were not disorderly among you.

Neither did we eat any man's bread for nothing: but in labour and in toil we worked night and day, lest we should be chargeable to any of you.

Not as if we had not power: but that we might give ourselves a pattern unto you, to imitate us.