36 Bible Verses about Vanity

Yet My people have forgotten Me.
They burn incense to false idols
that make them stumble in their ways
on the ancient roads
and walk on new paths, not the highway.

Man is like a breath;
his days are like a passing shadow.

Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding irreverent, empty speech and contradictions from the “knowledge” that falsely bears that name.

But avoid irreverent, empty speech, for this will produce an even greater measure of godlessness.

Remind them of these things, charging them before God not to fight about words; this is in no way profitable and leads to the ruin of the hearers.

Some have deviated from these and turned aside to fruitless discussion.

I hate those who are devoted to worthless idols,
but I trust in the Lord.

They are both stupid and foolish,
instructed by worthless idols
made of wood!

Yet My people have forgotten Me.
They burn incense to false idols
that make them stumble in their ways
on the ancient roads
and walk on new paths, not the highway.

They rejected His statutes and His covenant He had made with their ancestors and the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, following the surrounding nations the Lord had commanded them not to imitate.

All who make idols are nothing, and what they treasure does not profit. Their witnesses do not see or know [anything], so they will be put to shame. Who makes a god or casts a metal image for no profit?

[This disaster] happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt and because they had worshiped other gods. They had lived according to the customs of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites and the customs the kings of Israel had introduced. The Israelites secretly did what was not right against the Lord their God. They built high places in all their towns from watchtower to fortified city. read more.
They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree. They burned incense on all the high places just like those nations that the Lord had driven out before them. They did evil things, provoking the Lord. They served idols, although the Lord had told them, "You must not do this." Still, the Lord warned Israel and Judah through every prophet and every seer, saying, "Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments and statutes according to all the law I commanded your ancestors and sent to you through My servants the prophets." But they would not listen. Instead, they became obstinate like their ancestors who did not believe the Lord their God. They rejected His statutes and His covenant He had made with their ancestors and the warnings He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, following the surrounding nations the Lord had commanded them not to imitate. They abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God. They made for themselves molded images-even two calves-and an Asherah pole. They worshiped the whole heavenly host and served Baal. They made their sons and daughters pass through the fire and practiced divination and interpreted omens. They devoted themselves to do what was evil in the Lord's sight and provoked Him. Therefore, the Lord was very angry with Israel, and He removed them from His presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained. Even Judah did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God but lived according to the customs Israel had introduced. So the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and handed them over to plunderers until He had banished them from His presence. When the Lord tore Israel from the house of David, Israel made Jeroboam son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam led Israel away from following the Lord and caused them to commit great sin. The Israelites persisted in all the sins that Jeroboam committed and did not turn away from them. Finally, the Lord removed Israel from His presence just as He had declared through all His servants the prophets. So Israel has been exiled to Assyria from their homeland until today.

Let him not put trust in worthless things, being led astray,
for what he gets in exchange will prove worthless.

Therefore, this is what the Lord says: Ask among the nations, Who has heard [things] like these? Virgin Israel has done a most terrible thing. Does the snow of Lebanon ever leave the highland crags? Or does cold water flowing from a distance ever fail? Yet My people have forgotten Me. They burn incense to false [idols] that make them stumble in their ways- in the ancient roads- to walk on [new] paths, not the highway. read more.
They have made their land a horror, a perpetual object of scorn; everyone who passes by it will be horrified and shake his head. I will scatter them before the enemy like the east wind. I will show them [My] back and not [My] face on the day of their calamity.

Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding irreverent, empty speech and contradictions from the “knowledge” that falsely bears that name.

But avoid foolish debates, genealogies, quarrels, and disputes about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.

But avoid irreverent, empty speech, for this will produce an even greater measure of godlessness.

Remind them of these things, charging them before God not to fight about words; this is in no way profitable and leads to the ruin of the hearers.

Some have deviated from these and turned aside to fruitless discussion. They want to be teachers of the law, although they don't understand what they are saying or what they are insisting on.

For to the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and accumulating in order to give to the one who is pleasing in God’s sight. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

There is a person without a companion, without even a son or brother, and though there is no end to all his struggles, his eyes are still not content with riches. “So who am I struggling for,” he asks, “and depriving myself from good?” This too is futile and a miserable task.

Cursing, deceit, and violence fill his mouth;
trouble and malice are under his tongue.

They lie to one another;
they speak with flattering lips and deceptive hearts.

When one of them comes to visit, he speaks deceitfully;
he stores up evil in his heart;
he goes out and talks.

You said through the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David Your servant:

Why did the Gentiles rage
and the peoples plot futile things?

For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened.

Why do the nations rebel
and the peoples plot in vain?

Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their thoughts. They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts. They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.

For God's wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. From the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. read more.
For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.

Give us aid against the foe,
for human help is worthless.

ע AyinAll the while our eyes were failing
as we looked in vain for assistance;
we watched from our towers
for a nation that refused to help.

They have sown wheat but harvested thorns.
They have exhausted themselves but have no profit.
Be put to shame by your harvests
because of the Lord’s burning anger.

The one who sows injustice will reap disaster,
and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.

Turn my eyes
from looking at what is worthless;
give me life in Your ways.

Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me.
Give me neither poverty nor wealth;
feed me with the food I need.

for

the training of the body has a limited benefit,
but godliness is beneficial in every way,
since it holds promise for the present life
and also for the life to come.

Don’t be led astray by various kinds of strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established by grace and not by foods, since those involved in them have not benefited.

For who knows what is good for man in life, in the few days of his futile life that he spends like a shadow? Who can tell man what will happen after him under the sun?

I give up! I will not live forever.
Leave me alone, for my days are a breath.

“Certainly, man walks about like a mere shadow.
Indeed, they frantically rush around in vain,
gathering possessions
without knowing who will get them.

Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their thoughts.

Can you fathom the depths of God or discover the limits of the Almighty? [They are] higher than the heavens-what can you do? [They are] deeper than Sheol-what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea. read more.
If He passes by and throws [someone] in prison or convenes a court, who can stop Him? Surely He knows which people are worthless. If He sees iniquity, will He not take note [of it]? But a stupid man will gain understanding as soon as a wild donkey is born a man!

Foolish man! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless? Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was perfected.

When you cry out,
let your collection of idols deliver you!
The wind will carry all of them off,
a breath will take them away.
But whoever takes refuge in Me
will inherit the land
and possess My holy mountain.

He made their days end in futility,
their years in sudden disaster.

You said through the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David Your servant:

Why did the Gentiles rage
and the peoples plot futile things?

For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened.

Why do the nations rebel
and the peoples plot in vain?

When you pray, don’t babble like the idolaters, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words.

Stop bringing useless offerings.
Your incense is detestable to Me.
New Moons and Sabbaths,
and the calling of solemn assemblies—
I cannot stand iniquity with a festival.

Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him,
and what will we gain by pleading with Him?”

You have said: “It is useless to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His requirements and walking mournfully before the Lord of Hosts?

Men are only a vapor;
exalted men, an illusion.
Weighed in the scales, they go up;
together they are less than a vapor.

You discipline a man with punishment for sin,
consuming like a moth what is precious to him;
every man is only a vapor.Selah

After Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, he said to them, "Take to heart all these words I am giving as a warning to you today, so that you may command your children to carefully follow all the words of this law. For they are not meaningless words to you but they are your life, and by them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess."

and again, The Lord knows that the reasonings of the wise are meaningless.

When there is a man whose work was done with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great wrong.

So I said to myself, “What happens to the fool will also happen to me. Why then have I been overly wise?” And I said to myself that this is also futile.

Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him,
and what will we gain by pleading with Him?”

You have said: “It is useless to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His requirements and walking mournfully before the Lord of Hosts?

Cursing, deceit, and violence fill his mouth;
trouble and malice are under his tongue.

They lie to one another;
they speak with flattering lips and deceptive hearts.

When one of them comes to visit, he speaks deceitfully;
he stores up evil in his heart;
he goes out and talks.

When you cry out,
let your collection of idols deliver you!
The wind will carry all of them off,
a breath will take them away.
But whoever takes refuge in Me
will inherit the land
and possess My holy mountain.

He made their days end in futility,
their years in sudden disaster.

They have sown wheat but harvested thorns.
They have exhausted themselves but have no profit.
Be put to shame by your harvests
because of the Lord’s burning anger.

The one who sows injustice will reap disaster,
and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.

You discipline a man with punishment for sin,
consuming like a moth what is precious to him;
every man is only a vapor.Selah

Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting,
but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.

Turn my eyes
from looking at what is worthless;
give me life in Your ways.

Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me.
Give me neither poverty nor wealth;
feed me with the food I need.

And if I donate all my goods to feed the poor,
and if I give my body in order to boast
but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Remove sorrow from your heart,
and put away pain from your flesh,
because youth and the prime of life are fleeting.

“Certainly, man walks about like a mere shadow.
Indeed, they frantically rush around in vain,
gathering possessions
without knowing who will get them.

Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their thoughts.

I explored with my mind how to let my body enjoy life with wine and how to grasp folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—until I could see what is good for people to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

All that my eyes desired, I did not deny them. I did not refuse myself any pleasure, for I took pleasure in all my struggles. This was my reward for all my struggles. When I considered all that I had accomplished and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun.

I said to myself, “Go ahead, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good.” But it turned out to be futile.

“Absolute futility,” says the Teacher.
“Absolute futility. Everything is futile.”

God gives a man riches, wealth, and honor so that he lacks nothing of all he desires for himself, but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is futile and a sickening tragedy.

Lord, my strength and my stronghold,
my refuge in a time of distress,
the nations will come to You
from the ends of the earth, and they will say,
“Our fathers inherited only lies,
worthless idols of no benefit at all.”

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God's sons to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to futility-not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it-in the hope read more.
that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious freedom of God's children.

“Certainly, man walks about like a mere shadow.
Indeed, they frantically rush around in vain,
gathering possessions
without knowing who will get them.

In vain you get up early and stay up late,
working hard to have enough food—
yes, He gives sleep to the one He loves.

Wealth obtained by fraud will dwindle,
but whoever earns it through labor will multiply it.

The one who works his land
will have plenty of food,
but whoever chases fantasies
will have his fill of poverty.

Wealth obtained by fraud will dwindle,
but whoever earns it through labor will multiply it.

The one who works his land will have plenty of food,
but whoever chases fantasies lacks sense.

I am against those who prophesy false dreams”—the Lord’s declaration—“telling them and leading My people astray with their falsehoods and their boasting. It was not I who sent or commanded them, and they are of no benefit at all to these people”—this is the Lord’s declaration.

ס SamekI hate those who are double-minded,
but I love Your instruction.

The one who sows injustice will reap disaster,
and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.

Ill-gotten gains do not profit anyone,
but righteousness rescues from death.

For by uttering boastful, empty words, they seduce, with fleshly desires and debauchery, people who have barely escaped from those who live in error.

This is what the Lord says:

What fault did your fathers find in Me
that they went so far from Me,
followed worthless idols,
and became worthless themselves?

When I considered all that I had accomplished and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun.

I saw that all labor and all skillful work is due to a man’s jealousy of his friend. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from the fathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold,

For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it—in the hope

Man is like a breath;
his days are like a passing shadow.

You discipline a man with punishment for sin,
consuming like a moth what is precious to him;
every man is only a vapor.Selah

Even on his bed he makes malicious plans.
He sets himself on a path that is not good
and does not reject evil.

I do not sit with the worthless
or associate with hypocrites.

The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who has not set his mind on what is false,
and who has not sworn deceitfully.

ס SamekI hate those who are double-minded,
but I love Your instruction.

You, indeed, have made my days short in length,
and my life span as nothing in Your sight.
Yes, every mortal man is only a vapor.Selah

If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, then his religion is useless and he deceives himself.

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can his faith save him?

Lord, my strength and my stronghold,
my refuge in a time of distress,
the nations will come to You
from the ends of the earth, and they will say,
“Our fathers inherited only lies,
worthless idols of no benefit at all.”

But a stupid man will gain understanding
as soon as a wild donkey is born a man!

Surely He knows which people are worthless.
If He sees iniquity, will He not take note of it?

But a stupid man will gain understanding
as soon as a wild donkey is born a man!

Surely He knows which people are worthless.
If He sees iniquity, will He not take note of it?

How long, exalted men, will my honor be insulted?
How long will you love what is worthless
and pursue a lie?Selah

Indeed, God does not listen to empty cries,
and the Almighty does not take note of it—

I will expose your righteousness,
and your works—they will not profit you.

I increased my achievements. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I made gardens and parks for myself and planted every kind of fruit tree in them. I constructed reservoirs of water for myself from which to irrigate a grove of flourishing trees. read more.
I acquired male and female servants and had slaves who were born in my house. I also owned many herds of cattle and flocks, more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. I also amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered male and female singers for myself, and many concubines, the delights of men. Thus, I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom also remained with me. All that my eyes desired, I did not deny them. I did not refuse myself any pleasure, for I took pleasure in all my struggles. This was my reward for all my struggles. When I considered all that I had accomplished and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun.

Let him not put trust in worthless things, being led astray,
for what he gets in exchange will prove worthless.

For by uttering boastful, empty words, they seduce, with fleshly desires and debauchery, people who have barely escaped from those who live in error.

And if I donate all my goods to feed the poor,
and if I give my body in order to boast
but do not have love, I gain nothing.

The Lord knows man’s thoughts;
they are meaningless.

Man is like a breath;
his days are like a passing shadow.

You discipline a man with punishment for sin,
consuming like a moth what is precious to him;
every man is only a vapor.Selah

This is what the Lord says:

What fault did your fathers find in Me
that they went so far from Me,
followed worthless idols,
and became worthless themselves?

Even on his bed he makes malicious plans.
He sets himself on a path that is not good
and does not reject evil.

Making a fortune through a lying tongue
is a vanishing mist, a pursuit of death.

Men are only a vapor;
exalted men, an illusion.
Weighed in the scales, they go up;
together they are less than a vapor.

The one who loves money is never satisfied with money, and whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with income. This too is futile.

But look, you keep trusting in deceitful words that cannot help.

You were shown these things so that you would know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides Him.

I do not sit with the worthless
or associate with hypocrites.

The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who has not set his mind on what is false,
and who has not sworn deceitfully.

How long, exalted men, will my honor be insulted?
How long will you love what is worthless
and pursue a lie?Selah

I said to myself, “Go ahead, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good.” But it turned out to be futile.