'Vain' in the Bible

When she saw that she waited in vain,that her hope was lost,she took another of her cubsand made him a young lion.

In the seeing for thee of a vain thing, In the divining for thee of a lie, To put thee on the necks of the wounded of the wicked, whose day hath come, In the time of the iniquity of the end.

And its prophets have daubed for them with chalk, Seeing a vain thing, and divining for them a lie, Saying, 'Thus said the Lord Jehovah:' And Jehovah hath not spoken.

Thus said the Lord Jehovah: And -- I have destroyed idols, And caused vain things to cease from Noph, And a prince of the land of Egypt there is no more, And I give fear in the land of Egypt.

They speak vain words, swearing falsely in making covenants: therefore judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.

"There's iniquity in Gilead, isn't there? They have become truly vain. They sacrifice bulls in Gilgal; their altars are like piles of stone in furrowed fields.

Those who cling to vain idols leave behind the gracious love that could have been theirs.

Behold, is it not of Jehovah of hosts that the peoples labour for the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain?

For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd.

Oh that there were one among you that would shut the doors, that ye might not kindle fire on mine altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, saith Jehovah of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.

Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take that splinter out of your eye,' when all the while you yourself do not see the beam in your own eye? Vain pretender! take the beam out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother's eye.

Vain pretenders! You know how to read the aspect of earth and sky. How is it you cannot read this present time?

Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

And Saul said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He answered, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,

and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.

And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice in the Hebrew dialect (Jewish Aramaic) saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick [repeatedly] against the goads [offering pointless resistance].’

When daylight came, they tried in vain to recognise the coast. But an inlet with a sandy beach attracted their attention, and now their object was, if possible, to run the ship aground in this inlet.

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

For if they which are of law be heirs, faith is made vain, and the promise made of no effect.

For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

For Christ has not sent me to baptise, but to preach glad tidings; not in wisdom of word, that the cross of the Christ may not be made vain.

And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

But I have used none of these things. Now I have not written these things that it should be thus in my case; for it were good for me rather to die than that any one should make vain my boast.

By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready:

And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain:

For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.

From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;

O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:

But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

traitors, headlong, of vain pretensions, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;

For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:

But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;