Employers and employees

Employers and employees are addressed in the instructions to masters and servants and in the laws on hired workers. These command fair and timely wages and diligent, sincere service.

Working as unto the Lord

• Colossians 3:22-24
  ²²Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only to please them while they are watching, but with sincerity of heart and fear of the Lord. ²³And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
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• Ephesians 6:5-8
  ⁵Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. ⁶Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;And do this not only to please them while they are watching, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. ⁷With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:Serve with good will, as to the Lord and not to men, ⁸Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.
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• Titus 2:9-10
  ⁹Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;Slaves are to submit to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, ¹⁰Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.not stealing from them, but showing all good faith, so that in every respect they will adorn the teaching about God our Savior.
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• 1 Peter 2:18
  Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.Servants, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but even to those who are unreasonable.
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Masters' duties

• Ephesians 6:9
  And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.And masters, do the same for your slaves. Give up your use of threats, because you know that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.
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• Colossians 4:1
  Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.Masters, supply your slaves with what is right and fair, since you know that you also have a Master in heaven.
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• Job 31:13-15
  ¹³If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me, ¹⁴What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account? ¹⁵Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb?
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Fair and timely wages

• Leviticus 19:13
  Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him. You must not withhold until morning the wages due a hired hand.
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• Deuteronomy 24:14-15
  ¹⁴Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates:Do not oppress a hired hand who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother or a foreigner residing in one of your towns. ¹⁵At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee.You are to pay his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and depends on them. Otherwise he may cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.
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• Jeremiah 22:13
  Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour’s service without wages, and giveth him not for his work;“Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms without justice, who makes his countrymen serve without pay, and fails to pay their wages,
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• James 5:4
  Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.Look, the wages you withheld from the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.
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The labourer is worthy

• Luke 10:7
  And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.Stay at the same house, eating and drinking whatever you are offered. For the worker is worthy of his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
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• 1 Timothy 5:18
  For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and, “The worker is worthy of his wages.”
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• Romans 4:4
  Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.Now the wages of the worker are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation.
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The faithful servant

• Luke 16:10
  He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
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• Matthew 24:45-46
  ⁴⁵Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.
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• Proverbs 25:13
  As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters.Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters.
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• Genesis 31:6
  And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.You know that I have served your father with all my strength.
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Agreed wages

• Matthew 20:1-15
  ¹For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. ²And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. ³And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. ⁴And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.‘You also go into my vineyard,’ he said, ‘and I will pay you whatever is right.’ ⁵Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.So they went. He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. ⁶And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ he asked. ⁷They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. So he told them, ‘You also go into my vineyard.’ ⁸So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last ones hired and moving on to the first.’ ⁹And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. ¹⁰But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.So when the original workers came, they assumed they would receive more. But each of them also received a denarius. ¹¹And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,On receiving their pay, they began to grumble against the landowner. ¹²Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’ ¹³But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Did you not agree with me on one denarius? ¹⁴Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.Take your pay and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you. ¹⁵Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?Do I not have the right to do as I please with what is mine? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
  Show context · Read Matthew 20 →

See also

• Work
• Business
• Laziness
• Oppression
• Justice

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.