30 Bible Verses about Useless Labour

I shall be condemned. Why then do I labor in vain?

In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.

Behold, isn't it of the LORD of hosts that the peoples labor for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity?

Now David had said, "Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him. He has returned me evil for good.

Our eyes still fail, looking in vain for our help. In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.

and your strength will be spent in vain; for your land won't yield its increase, neither will the trees of the land yield their fruit.

Thus says the LORD of hosts: "The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly overthrown, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; and the peoples shall labor for vanity, and the nations for the fire; and they shall be weary."

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 also will do this to you: I will appoint terror over you, even consumption and fever, that shall consume the eyes, and make the soul to pine away; and you will sow your seed in vain, for your enemies will eat it.

For in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird:

The bellows blow fiercely; the lead is consumed of the fire: in vain do they go on refining; for the wicked are not plucked away.

You, when you are made desolate, what will you do? Though you clothe yourself with scarlet, though you dress yourselves with ornaments of gold, though you enlarge your eyes with paint, in vain do you make yourself beautiful; your lovers despise you, they seek your life.

I am afraid for you, that I might have wasted my labor for you.

But I said, "I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely the justice due to me is with the LORD, and my reward with my God."

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch on behalf of your souls, as those who will give account, that they may do this with joy, and not with groaning, for that would be unprofitable for you.

For Egypt helps in vain, and to no purpose; therefore have I called her Rahab who sits still.

"I have struck your children in vain. They received no correction. Your own sword has devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

and one of you tells them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled;" and yet you did not give them the things the body needs, what good is it?

He shall separate to the LORD the days of his separation, and shall bring a male lamb a year old for a trespass offering; but the former days shall be void, because his separation was defiled.

They shall comfort you, when you see their way and their doings; and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it,' says the Lord GOD."

They shall know that I am the LORD: I have not said in vain that I would bring this disaster on them."'"

I went up by revelation, and I explained to them the Good News which I proclaim among the Gentiles, but privately before those who were respected, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.

For this cause I also, when I could not stand it any longer, sent that I might know your faith, for fear that by any means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor would have been in vain.

Did you suffer so many things in vain, if it is indeed in vain?

They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for calamity; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.

But I have sent the brothers that our boasting on your behalf may not be in vain in this respect, that, just as I said, you may be prepared,

holding up the word of life; that I may have something to boast in the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain.

I therefore run like that, as not uncertainly. I fight like that, as not beating the air,

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord's work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

For you yourselves know, brothers, our visit to you was not in vain,