77 Bible Verses about Futility

Remember what my lifespan [is]. [Remember] for what vanity you have created all [the] children of humankind.

"My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and they come to an end {without hope}. Remember that my life [is] a breath; my eye will not return to see good.

"A human being born of a woman [is] short of days and full of troubles. Like a flower he comes up, and he withers away; and he flees like a shadow, but he does not last.

"Let me know, O Yahweh, my end, and what is the measure of my days. Let me know how transient I [am]." Look, you have made my days [mere] handbreadths, and my lifespan as nothing next to you. Surely every person standing firm [is] complete vanity. Selah

A voice [is] saying, "Call!" And he said, "What shall I call?" All {humankind} [are] grass, and all his loyalty [is] like the flowers of the field. Grass withers; [the] flower withers when the breath of Yahweh blows on it. Surely the people [are] grass.

you who do not know {what will happen tomorrow}, {what your life will be like}. For you are a smoky vapor that appears for a short time and then disappears.

It [is all] one; therefore I say, 'He destroys [both the] blameless and [the] wicked.'

As for man, his days [are] like the grass. As the flower of the field, so he blossoms. When [the] wind passes over it, it is no more, and its place knows it no longer.

Surely a man walks about as a [mere] {shadow}; surely in vain they bustle about. He heaps up [possessions] but does not know who [will] gather them [in].

[It is] in vain for you who rise early [and] sit late, eating the bread of anxious toil, [when] thus he provides for his beloved in [his] sleep.

Look! [Is it] not from Yahweh of hosts that people labor for mere fire, and nations exhaust themselves for mere vanity?

For the sun rises with its burning heat and dries up the grass, and its flower falls off, and the beauty of its appearance is lost. So also the rich person in his pursuits will wither away.

Yahweh knows [the] thoughts of humankind, that {they [are] to no purpose}.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, for it is written, "The one who catches the wise in their craftiness," and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile."

For [although they] knew God, they did not honor [him] as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasoning, and their senseless hearts were darkened.

This therefore I say and testify in the Lord, [that] you no longer walk as the Gentiles walk: in the futility of their mind, being darkened in understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance [that] is in them, because of the hardness of their heart,

We have heard [of] the pride of Moab--exceedingly proud-- [of] his arrogance, pride, and insolence; {his boasting is not true}.

We have heard [of] the pride of Moab --[he is] very proud-- his height, and his pride, and his arrogance, and the haughtiness of his heart. I know his insolence," {declares} Yahweh, "and his boastings [are] {false}; they act {falsely}.

He has done a mighty deed with his arm; he has dispersed the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down rulers from [their] thrones, and has exalted the lowly.

Thus says Yahweh, "Cursed [is] the person who trusts in humankind and makes flesh his {strength}, and turns aside his heart from Yahweh.

Give us help against [the] adversary, for the help of humankind [is] futile.

Give us help against [the] enemy, for the help of humankind [is] futile.

Do not place trust in princes, in a son of humankind with whom there is no deliverance. His breath departs; he returns to his plot; on that day his plans perish.

Turn away from humanity, who [has] breath in its nostrils, for by what [is] it esteemed?

"Oh rebellious children!" {declares} Yahweh, "to make a plan, but not from me, and pour out a libation, but not [from] my Spirit, {so as to add} sin to sin. Who go to go down [to] Egypt, but they do not ask [of] my mouth, to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh and to take refuge in the shadow of Egypt. And the protection of Pharaoh shall be shame to you, and the refuge in the shadow of Egypt, humiliation.read more.
For his officials are at Zoan, and his envoys reach to Hanes. Everyone will start to stink because of a people [that] cannot profit them, not for help and not for profiting, but for shame and also for disgrace."

Ah! Those who go down [to] Egypt for help! They rely on horses and trust in chariots because [they are] many, and in horsemen because they are very numerous, and they do not look to the holy one of Israel, and they do not consult Yahweh. And indeed, he [is] wise, and he brings disaster, and he does not remove his words, and he will rise against [the] house of evildoers and against [the] help of workers of iniquity. And the Egyptians [are] human and not God, and their horses [are] flesh and not spirit. And Yahweh stretches out his hand, and [the] helper will stumble, and [the] one being helped will fall, and together all of them will come to an end.

Still our eyes failed, [looking for] our help in vain; in our watchtower, we kept watch for a nation that could not save.

They rejected his statutes, his covenant which he {made} with their ancestors, and his warnings which he gave to them; and they went after the idols, became vain, and [went] after all the nations which [were] all around them, which Yahweh had commanded them not to do as they [did].

And do not turn aside after the triviality, which have no value and cannot deliver, for they are triviality.

I hate those devoted to useless idols, but I trust Yahweh.

Thus says Yahweh: "What injustice did your ancestors find in me that they were far from me, and they went after the vanity, and they became vain?

{At the same time} they are stupid and foolish, [in the] instruction of idols, it [is] wood.

Yahweh, my strength, and my stronghold, and my refuge in [the] day of distress, to you [the] nations will come from the ends of [the] earth, and they will say, "Our ancestors have inherited only lies, vanity, and there is no profit in them.

Those who worship vain idols forsake their loyal love.

Now if they tell you, "Consult the ghosts and the spirits, those who chirp and those who mutter. Should not a people consult its gods, the dead on behalf of the living, for teaching and for testimony?" {surely they [who] speak like this have no dawn}. And it will pass through it distressed and hungry, and this shall happen: when it is hungry, it will be enraged, and it will curse its king and its gods, and it will face upwarread more.
or look to [the] earth. But look! Distress and darkness, [the] gloom of affliction! And [it will be] thrust [into] darkness!

They saw falseness and {a lying divination}, the ones saying, 'Declaration of Yahweh!' and Yahweh did not send them, and they wait {for the confirmation of their word}. Have you not seen {a false vision} and spoken {lying divination}, and [you] said, 'Declaration of Yahweh!' but {I myself did not speak}. Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: 'Because of your speaking falseness and [because] you envisioned a lie, therefore, look! I [am] against you!" {declares} the Lord Yahweh.read more.
"And it will be my hand against the prophets who [are] seeing falseness and who [are] practicing lying divination. They will not be in the council of my people, and they will not be written [down] in the record [book] of the house of Israel, and into the land of Israel they will not come, and [then] you will know that I [am] the Lord Yahweh.

Because the household gods speak deceit, and those who practice divination see a lie, and the dreamers of vanity speak in vain. Therefore [the people] wander like sheep; they are afflicted because there is no shepherd.

It happened as noon passed, they raged until the [time of] the evening offering, but there was no voice, there was no answer, and no [one] paid attention.

And this shall happen: when Moab appears, when it is weary upon the high place and it comes to its sanctuary to pray, it will not prevail.

They [are] like scarecrows in a cucumber field, they cannot speak. Indeed, they must be carried, for they cannot march. You must not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil; furthermore, to do good [is] not in them."

For before these days, Theudas rose up saying he was somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined {him}. {He} was executed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and {caused people to follow him in revolt}. And that one perished, and all who followed him were scattered. And now I tell you, keep away from these men, and leave them alone, because if this plan or this matter is from people, it will be overthrown.

If you have died with Christ to the elemental spirits of the world, why do you submit [to them] as [if] living in the world? "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch," which [things] are all [meant] for destruction by consuming according to human commandments and teachings,read more.
which [things] {although they have}, to be sure, an appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and humility and unsparing treatment of the body, {do not have any value} against the indulgence of the flesh.

You must not {continue} to bring offerings of futility, incense--it [is] an abomination to me; new moon and Sabbath, [the] calling of a convocation-- I cannot endure iniquity with [solemn] assembly.

You have said, '[It is] useless to serve God! What [is the] gain if we keep his requirements, and if we walk as mourners {before} Yahweh of hosts?

'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far, far away from me, and they worship me in vain, teaching [as] doctrines the commandments of men.'"

So he said to them, "Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far, far away from me. And they worship me in vain, teaching [as] doctrines the commandments of men.'

And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual [people], but as to fleshly [people], as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, for you were not yet able [to eat it]. But now you are still not able, for you are still fleshly. For where [there is] jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and do you not live like [unregenerate] people?

If anyone thinks he is religious, [although he] does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion [is] worthless.

But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and contentions and quarrels about the law, for they are useless and fruitless.

Look, you [are] relying for yourselves on {deceitful words} without benefiting.

Your prophets had a vision for you, false and worthless; they have not exposed your sin, to restore your fortune; they have seen oracles for you, false and misleading.

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these [things] the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

Let no one condemn you, taking pleasure in humility and the worship of angels, going into detail [about] [the things] which he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,

from which some have deviated, [and] have turned away into fruitless discussion,

Remind [people] of these [things], solemnly urging [them] before the Lord not to dispute about words. [This is] in no way beneficial [and leads to] the ruin of the hearers.

{For by speaking high-sounding but empty words}, they entice with desires of the flesh [and] with licentiousness those who are scarcely escaping from those who live in error,

"I am the vine; you [are] the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him--this one bears much fruit, for apart from me you are not able to do anything.

Now if anyone builds upon the foundation [with] gold, silver, precious stones, wood, grass, straw, the work of each one will become evident. For the day will reveal [it], because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the work of each one, of what sort it is. If anyone's work that he has built upon [it] remains, he will receive a reward.read more.
If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but so as through fire.

{For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us}, just as those also [did], but the message {they heard} did not benefit them, [because they] were not united with those who heard [it] in faith.

And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain came down and the rivers came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it collapsed, and its fall was great."

[When] anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand [it], the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown on the side of the path. And what was sown on the rocky ground--this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. But he does not have a root in himself, but {lasts only a little while}, and [when] affliction or persecution happens because of the word, immediately he falls away.read more.
And what was sown into the thorn plants--this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of this world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word and it becomes unproductive.

But be doers of the message and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves, because if anyone is a hearer of the message and not a doer, this one is like someone staring at {his own face} in a mirror, for he looks at himself and goes away and immediately forgets what sort of [person] he was.

But do you want to know, O foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

This evil people, who refuse to listen to my words, who go in the stubbornness of their hearts, and have gone after other gods, to serve them, and to bow in worship to them, let them be like this loincloth which is not good for anything.

Why are nations in tumult, and countries plotting in vain?

[The] wicked sees [it] and is vexed. He gnashes his teeth and {becomes weak}. [The] desire of [the] wicked perishes.

You reject all [who] stray from your statutes, for their deceit [is] a breach of faith.

The hope of the righteous [is] gladness, but the expectation of the wicked comes to nothing.

With the death of a wicked person, hope will die, and the expectation of the godless perishes.

Thus says Yahweh of hosts: "The broad walls of Babylon will be utterly demolished, and her high gates will burn with fire, and [the] peoples will labor {for nothing}, and [the] nations {for fire}, and they will grow weary."

And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even expose [them].

Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure, and washed my hands in innocence.

Indeed, he says, 'A man does not profit when he takes delight in God.'

But I myself said, "I have labored in vain; I have used up my strength for nothing and vanity! Nevertheless, my justice [is] with Yahweh, and my reward [is] with my God."

[because you] know that you were redeemed from your futile way of life inherited from your ancestors not with perishable things like silver or gold,

Therefore, if someone cleanses himself from these [things], he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.