These verses constitute a representative list of Bible passages speaking to this topic, not an exhaustive one.
A one-page PDF file containing this list is available here.
Proverbs 10:4-5
4 He who has a slack hand becomes poor,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5 He who gathers in summer is a wise son;
He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.
Proverbs 12:14
14 A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth,
And the recompense of a man’s hands will be rendered to him.
Proverbs 13:4
4 The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;
But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.
Proverbs 14:23
23 In all labor there is profit,
But idle chatter leads only to poverty.
Proverbs 16:26
26 The person who labors, labors for himself,
For his hungry mouth drives him on.
Proverbs 28:19
19 He who tills his land will have plenty of bread,
But he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough!
Ecclesiastes 3:9-13
9 What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 10 I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
12 I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 13 and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.
This page is a part of a larger Word Foundations article or Discover Bedrock Truth Bible study.
Supplemental Resources
How Liberty Works ~ This article explains how and why the Ten Commandments aren’t just moral and ethical guidelines for individuals; they also make freedom and liberty possible when in a society that upholds them
Government’s Divinely Written Job Description
Maintain order by commending those who do right and punishing those who do wrong — according to God’s moral and ethical standard.
We see these elements in
1 Timothy 2:1-4; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17
When government acts in this way, it protects the God-given rights of its citizens as described in America’s Declaration of Independence.
Inherently Unjust ~ This article explains why socialism is unjust and never can be otherwise.
Seven Bible Passages that Destroy Socialism and Affirm Free Enterprise
Here are the seven primary Bible passages this presentation explores:
Exodus 20:15
Exodus 20:17
1 Thessalonians 4:10-12
2 Thessalonians 3:10
1 Timothy 5:8
Ephesians 4:28
Matthew 20:15
Copyright © 2024 by B. Nathaniel Sullivan. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture passages have been taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.