29 Bible Verses about Futility

(whereas ye know not what will be on the morrow; for what is your life? Ye are even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away;)

For the sun rose with its burning heat, and withered the grass, and its flower fell off, and the beauty of its appearance perished; so also will the rich man fade away in his ways.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God; for it is written: "He that taketh the wise in their craftiness;" and again: "The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain."

Because though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, nor were they thankful to him; but became perverse in their reasonings, and their senseless minds were darkened;

This therefore I say, and charge you in the Lord, that ye no longer walk as the rest of the gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God on account of the ignorance that is in them, on account of the hardness of their hearts;

He hath wrought mightily with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the device of their heart. He hath cast down princes from thrones, and exalted men of low degree.

For before these days arose Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain, and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and came to nought. After this man arose Judas the Galilaean, in the days of the registering, and drew people away after him; he also perished, and all, as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. And now I say to you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone; for if this design or this work be of men, it will come to nought;

If ye died with Christ to the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances, such as, Handle not, Taste not, Touch not, (which all are to perish with the using,) after the commandments and teachings of men;read more.
which things have indeed a show of wisdom in willworship and humiliation and severity to the body, not in any honor for the satisfying of the flesh.

"This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."

And he said to them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, "This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."

I also, brethren, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual men, but as those who are not spiritual, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk, not with meat; for ye were not yet able to bear it. Nor indeed are ye able even now; for ye are yet unspiritual. For while there is among you rivalry and strife, are ye not unspiritual, and walking after the manner of men?

If any one thinks that he is religious, and bridles not his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this mans religion is vain.

but avoid foolish questionings, and genealogies, and strifes, and contentions about the Law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

Let no one deceive you with vain words; for because of these things the wrath of God cometh upon the sons of disobedience.

Let no one defraud you of the prize, desiring to do it in humiliation and worshipping of the angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, puffed up without reason by the mind of his own flesh,

from which some swerving turned aside to vain babbling,

Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord not to carry on a strife of words, to no useful purpose, but rather to the subverting of the hearers.

For speaking great swelling words of vanity, they allure in the lusts of the flesh, by dissolute ways, such as were in some measure escaping from those who live in error;

I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit; for apart from me ye can do nothing.

But if any one build upon this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, the work of every one will be made manifest; for the day will show it; because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will prove what every ones work is. If the work which any one built thereon remaineth, he will receive reward;read more.
if any ones work shall be burned up, he will lose the reward; but he will be saved himself, yet as one escaping through fire.

For to us were glad tidings addressed, as well as to them; but the word which was heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened to a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand; and the rain descended, and the streams came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell; and great was its fall.

When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, the Evil One cometh, and snatcheth away that which was sown in his heart; this man is what was sown by the wayside. And what was sown on the rocky places, this is he that heareth the word, and immediately receiveth it with joy, but, having no root within him, endureth only for a time; and when tribulation or persecution ariseth on account of the word, he immediately falleth away.read more.
And what was sown among the thorns, this is he that heareth the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if any one is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man beholding his natural face in a glass; for he beholds himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what manner of man he was.

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

and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them.

knowing that not with perishable things, silver or gold, were ye redeemed from your vain manner of life received by tradition from your fathers,

If then any one shall purge himself from these, he will be a vessel for honor, hallowed, useful for the householder, prepared for every good work.