Verses for the working day, from establish the work of our hands to the warning in Psalm 127 about staying up late.
The psalms take ordinary work seriously. Psalm 104 describes people going out to their labor until the evening, and Psalm 90 asks God to establish the work of our hands. They also put limits on it. Psalm 127 says that rising early and staying up late is vain without God, and that he gives sleep to his loved ones. Where the psalms talk about success, they tie it to trust and to how a person lives.
The picks are grouped as prayers for your work, success and promotion, when work is too much, honest work, and looking for a job. A note below explains what Psalm 23 says to a working day. Tick verses to print them for a desk or a wallet.
Prayers for the work itself, whatever it is.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us.Establish the work of our hands for us.Yes, establish the work of our hands.
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
Establish the work of our hands, asked twice in one verse. It closes a psalm about how quickly a life passes, which gives the request its weight.
Man goes out to his work,to his labor until the evening.
Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.
Work appears as part of an ordered world. A few verses earlier the sun knows when to set, and here people go out to labor until the evening.
For you will eat the labor of your hands.You will be happy, and it will be well with you.
For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.
The blessing here is enjoying what you have worked for: you will eat the labor of your hands. Verse 1 addresses it to everyone who fears the LORD.
Unless the LORD builds the house,they who build it labor in vain.Unless the LORD watches over the city,the watchman guards it in vain.
Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
Unless the LORD builds the house, they who build it labor in vain. The heading attributes Psalm 127 to Solomon.
The psalms speak of success, and tie it to trust and to character.
He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water,that produces its fruit in its season,whose leaf also does not wither.Whatever he does shall prosper.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Whatever he does shall prosper. It describes the person of verses 1 and 2, whose delight is in the LORD's law, and pictures success as a tree that fruits in its season.
Commit your way to the LORD.Trust also in him, and he will do this:
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Commit your way to the LORD and trust in him. The KJV ends the line with he shall bring it to pass.
For neither from the east, nor from the west,nor yet from the south, comes exaltation.
For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
The KJV reads promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. Verse 7 gives the reason: God puts down one and lifts up another.
For long hours, and for work that crowds out everything else.
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.
It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
Rising early, staying up late and eating the bread of toil are called vain. The contrast is sleep, which God gives to his loved ones.
“Surely every man walks like a shadow.Surely they busy themselves in vain.He heaps up, and doesn’t know who shall gather.
Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.
People busy themselves in vain and heap up without knowing who will gather it. The psalm sets this inside a prayer to know how frail I am.
Psalm 15 asks who may dwell with God, and much of its answer is about how a person deals with others.
He who walks blamelessly and does what is right,and speaks truth in his heart;
He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
Walking blamelessly, doing what is right, and speaking truth in the heart. The truth is placed in the heart, not only on the lips.
in whose eyes a vile man is despised,but who honors those who fear the LORD;he who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and doesn’t change;
In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
He keeps an oath even when it hurts, and doesn't change. It fits any promise made at work that turns out to be costly.
Set a watch, LORD, before my mouth.Keep the door of my lips.
Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
Set a watch before my mouth, keep the door of my lips. A short prayer before a hard conversation or meeting.
For waiting, applying, and not knowing where the next work will come from.
My times are in your hand.Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.
My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.
My times are in your hand. The writer says it while pursued by enemies, and the line hands the timing over to God.
A man’s steps are established by the LORD.He delights in his way.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
A man's steps are established by the LORD. Verse 24 adds that though he stumble, he shall not fall.
The LORD will fulfill that which concerns me.Your loving kindness, LORD, endures forever.Don’t forsake the works of your own hands.
The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
The LORD will fulfill that which concerns me. The verse also asks God not to forsake the works of his own hands.
For running a business, making plans and moving up at work, with verses that tie gain to honest dealing.
It is well with the man who deals graciously and lends.He will maintain his cause in judgment.
A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.
It is well with the man who deals graciously and lends. The KJV reads he will guide his affairs with discretion.
Don’t trust in oppression.Don’t become vain in robbery.If riches increase,don’t set your heart on them.
Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.
If riches increase, don't set your heart on them. The same verse warns against trusting in oppression and robbery.
May he grant you your heart’s desire,and fulfill all your counsel.
Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.
May he grant you your heart's desire, and fulfill all your counsel. It is spoken to another person, so it fits a blessing on someone else's plans.
But God is the judge.He puts down one, and lifts up another.
But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.
God is the judge: he puts down one and lifts up another. The KJV promotion line in verse 6 leads straight into this verse, which names who does the lifting.
So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart,and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.
Verses 70 and 71 say David was taken from the sheepfolds to shepherd a nation. This verse says how he did the new work: with integrity of heart and skillful hands.
Psalm 23 does not mention work, and any version that talks about offices, bosses or deadlines is a modern rewrite, not the psalm. The text itself still speaks to a working day. Verse 1 says the LORD is my shepherd, I shall lack nothing. Verses 2 and 3 speak of still waters and a restored soul. Verse 5 has a table prepared in the presence of my enemies. The whole psalm is six verses long.
Psalm 1:3 says of the person who delights in the LORD's law: whatever he does shall prosper. Psalm 90:17 asks God to establish the work of our hands.
Psalm 90:17, Psalm 104:23 and Psalm 127 speak most directly about work. Psalm 127:2 also warns that rising early and staying up late is vain.
Psalm 31:15 says my times are in your hand, and Psalm 37:23 says a man's steps are established by the LORD. Neither promises a particular job, but both put the waiting in God's hands.
Psalm 112:5 says it is well with the one who deals graciously and lends, and Psalm 15:4 praises keeping an oath even when it hurts. Psalm 37:5 is about committing your way to the LORD.
Nothing directly. Verse 1, I shall lack nothing, and verse 3, he restores my soul, are the lines closest to a working day.
Psalms for Studying and ExamsPsalms for Money, Prosperity and Financial NeedPsalms for Guidance and DirectionPsalms for PatiencePsalms for Sleep and Night PrayerPsalms about Wisdom