Proverbs 31:18

All his days he also eats in darkness, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath.

and because he practiced the same trade, he lived with them and worked, for by trade they were tent makers.

in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness.

In peace I will both lay myself down and sleep, for you, Yahweh alone, make me live in safety.

When you lie down, you will not be afraid. Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.

When I was present with you and was in need, I wasn’t a burden on anyone, for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my need. In everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and I will continue to do so.

neither did we eat bread from anyone’s hand without paying for it, but in labor and travail worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you,

For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on the earth (even though eyes see no sleep day or night),

Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teachers won’t be hidden any more, but your eyes will see your teachers;

Or have only Barnabas and I no right to not work?

For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we have set our trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.

To Adam he said, “Because you have listened to your wife’s voice, and ate from the tree, about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ the ground is cursed for your sake. You will eat from it with much labor all the days of your life.

You will eat bread by the sweat of your face until you return to the ground, for you were taken out of it. For you are dust, and you shall return to dust.”

The flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks produced streaked, speckled, and spotted.

This was my situation: in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes.

Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to God’s mountain, to Horeb.

You shall eat no leavened bread with it. You shall eat unleavened bread with it seven days, even the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste) that you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life.

You shall answer and say before Yahweh your God, “My father was a Syrian ready to perish. He went down into Egypt, and lived there, few in number. There he became a great, mighty, and populous nation.

Say, ‘The king says, “Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.” ’ ”

Please let us go to the Jordan, and each man take a beam from there, and let’s make us a place there, where we may live.” He answered, “Go!”

But the former governors who were before me were supported by the people, and took bread and wine from them, plus forty shekels of silver; yes, even their servants ruled over the people; but I didn’t do so, because of the fear of God.

Now that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days a store of all sorts of wine. Yet for all this, I didn’t demand the governor’s pay, because the bondage was heavy on this people.

You will be secure, because there is hope. Yes, you will search, and will take your rest in safety.

They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.

I laid myself down and slept. I awakened; for Yahweh sustains me.

For day and night your hand was heavy on me. My strength was sapped in the heat of summer.

“Surely every man walks like a shadow. Surely they busy themselves in vain. He heaps up, and doesn’t know who shall gather.

So that your beloved may be delivered, save with your right hand, and answer us.

Yahweh, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before you.

It is vain for you to rise up early, to stay up late, eating the bread of toil, for he gives sleep to his loved ones.

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

For what does a man have of all his labor and of the striving of his heart, in which he labors under the sun?

I have seen the burden which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. “For whom then, do I labor and deprive my soul of enjoyment?” This also is vanity. Yes, it is a miserable business.

All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a spring of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!

On this I awakened, and saw; and my sleep was sweet to me.

Therefore Yahweh says concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: “He will have no one to sit on David’s throne. His dead body will be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost.

“ ‘I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause evil animals to cease out of the land. They will dwell securely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.

Jacob fled into the country of Aram, and Israel served to get a wife, and for a wife he tended flocks and herds.

There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock.

and she had been a widow for about eighty-four years), who didn’t depart from the temple, worshiping with fastings and petitions night and day.

Then he said to them, “The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he may send out laborers into his harvest.

Won’t God avenge his chosen ones who are crying out to him day and night, and yet he exercises patience with them?

Simon Peter said to them, “I’m going fishing.” They told him, “We are also coming with you.” They immediately went out, and entered into the boat. That night, they caught nothing.

But these things don’t count; nor do I hold my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to fully testify to the Good News of the grace of God.

Therefore watch, remembering that for a period of three years I didn’t cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears.

You yourselves know that these hands served my necessities, and those who were with me.

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God,

that I should be a servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of the Good News of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of God’s Spirit; so that from Jerusalem, and around as far as to Illyricum, I have fully preached the Good News of Christ;

We toil, working with our own hands. When people curse us, we bless. Being persecuted, we endure.

Have we no right to eat and to drink?

But I have used none of these things, and I don’t write these things that it may be done so in my case; for I would rather die, than that anyone should make my boasting void.

What then is my reward? That when I preach the Good News, I may present the Good News of Christ without charge, so as not to abuse my authority in the Good News.

that you also be in subjection to such, and to everyone who helps in the work and labors.

in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in labors, in watchings, in fastings;

Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached to you God’s Good News free of charge?

For even in Thessalonica you sent once and again to my need.

for which I also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily.

remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and perseverance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father.

but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as you know, at Philippi, we grew bold in our God to tell you the Good News of God in much conflict.

nor seeking glory from men (neither from you nor from others), when we might have claimed authority as apostles of Christ.

For you remember, brothers, our labor and travail; for working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached to you the Good News of God.

But when Timothy came just now to us from you, and brought us glad news of your faith and love, and that you have good memories of us always, longing to see us, even as we also long to see you,

night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face, and may perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

according to the Good News of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

Now she who is a widow indeed and desolate, has her hope set on God, and continues in petitions and prayers night and day.

I thank God, whom I serve as my forefathers did, with a pure conscience. How unceasing is my memory of you in my petitions, night and day

Remember your leaders, men who spoke to you the word of God, and considering the results of their conduct, imitate their faith.

To them it was revealed, that they served not to themselves, but to you, in these things, which now have been announced to you through those who preached the Good News to you by the Holy Spirit sent out from heaven; which things angels desire to look into.

You have perseverance and have endured for my name’s sake, and have not grown weary.

The four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within. They have no rest day and night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!”

but his delight is in Yahweh’s law. On his law he meditates day and night.

But we beg you, brothers, to know those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you,

Let our people also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they may not be unfruitful.