77 Bible Verses about Futility
Most Relevant Verses
Remember how short my life span is! Have you created the sons of men for no reason?
My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle flying back and forth. They end without hope. O God, remember that my life is but a breath. I will never again see good.
Man born of woman, lives a short life that is full of trouble. He springs up like a flower and fades away. He is like a fleeting shadow and does not endure.
Jehovah, please make me to know my end. What is the extent of my days? Let me know how temporary (frail) (destitute) I am. Indeed, you have made the length of my days very short. My life span is nothing compared to yours. Certainly, everyone alive is like a whisper in the wind.
A voice shouts: Cry out! And I said: What shall I cry? The voice shouts: All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of Jehovah blows on them. Surely the people are grass.
You do not know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? For you are a vapor (puff of air) that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.
It is all one thing. Therefore I say: God destroys the blameless and the wicked.
Man's days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. The wind passes over it, and it is gone; and its place shall know it no more.
Every man walks about like a vain illusion. He makes a lot of noise over nothing. He hoards riches and does not know who will receive them.
It is vain to work hard for the food you eat by getting up early and going to bed late. Jehovah gives food to those he loves while they sleep.
Is it for Jehovah of Hosts that the peoples labor for the fire? Do the nations weary themselves for vanity?
The sun rises with scorching heat and withers the grass. The flower falls off and its beauty perishes. So also the rich man will fade away in his pursuits.
For the wisdom of this age is foolishness with God. It is written: He catches the wise in their own craftiness (deception). (Job 5:13) And again: Jehovah knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain (useless) (empty). (Psalm 94:11)
for when they knew God, they did not glorify him as God. They did not thank him and were vain in their reasoning, for their foolish hearts were darkened.
This I say therefore, and testify (affirm) in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the nations also walk, in the vanity (futility) (depravity) of their mind (thinking). They are darkened (blinded) (obscured) in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart.
We have heard of the pride of Moab and of his arrogance. We know of his pride, conceit and empty boasting.
Moab is very proud! I have heard how proud, arrogant, and conceited the people are, how much they think of themselves. Jehovah says: 'I know Moab's great pride, but it is of no use. Moab's bragging gains nothing.
He shows strength with his arm. He scatters the proud in the thoughts of their heart. He removes rulers from their thrones and exalts the humble.
This is what Jehovah says: Cursed is the person who trusts humans, who makes flesh and blood his strength and whose heart turns away from Jehovah.
Do not trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. His spirit (Hebrew: ruach, breath, life) departs, he returns to the earth; in that very day his thoughts perish (come to an end).
Stop trusting people, whose breath (life) is in their nostrils. How can they be worth anything?
Suffer you unwilling children, says Jehovah. You pursue a purpose that is not mine. You make a covenant sacrifice without my Spirit. You add sin to sin. You go to Egypt for help without asking for my advice. You want Egypt to protect you. You put your trust in Egypt's military might. The safety of Pharaoh will be your shame and the shelter in the shadow of Egypt, your humiliation.read more.
Their princes are at Zoan and their ambassadors arrive at Hanes. Everyone will be ashamed because of a people who cannot help them. They cannot help. They can only offer shame and reproach.
How horrible it will be for those who go to Egypt for help! Cursed are those who rely on very strong warhorses, who depend on many chariots. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel. They do not seek Jehovah. He is wise and can bring about disaster. He does not take back his words. He rises against wicked people and against those who help troublemakers. The Egyptians are humans, not God. Their horses are flesh and blood, not spirit. Jehovah will stretch out his powerful hand (extend his power). The one who gives help will stumble. The one who receives help will fall. Both will die together.
Our eyes are still wasting away in looking for our false help. We watch for a nation unable to give salvation.
They refused to obey his instructions. They did not keep the covenant he made with their ancestors. They disregarded his warnings. They worshiped worthless idols and became worthless themselves. They followed the customs of the surrounding nations, disobeying Jehovah's command not to imitate them.
Do not go after false gods and empty things. They cannot help you or save you. They are useless.
Jehovah says: What bad thing (injustice) did your fathers find in me that they went so far away from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless (lead astray) themselves.
They are very stupid and foolish. They teach vanity to a tree. Their idol is wood!
Jehovah is my strength and my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. Nations come to you from the most distant parts of the world and say: Our ancestors have inherited lies, worthless and unprofitable gods.
People will say to you: Ask for help from the mediums and the fortunetellers, who whisper and mutter. Should people ask their God for help instead? Why should they ask the dead to help the living? They should go to the teachings and to the written instructions. If people do not speak these words, it is because there is no light (truth) in them. They will pass through the land when they are hard-pressed (destressed) and hungry. When they are hungry, they will be furious. Then they will look up and curse their king and God.read more.
They will look toward the nations of the earth and see only distress and gloom. They will go in anguish and be banished into darkness.
They see falsehood and lying divination. They are saying: 'Jehovah declares,' when Jehovah has not sent them. Yet they hope for the fulfillment of their word. Did you not see a false vision and speak a lying divination when you said 'Jehovah declares,' but it is not I who has spoken?' Therefore, the Lord Jehovah says: 'Because you have spoken falsehood and seen a lie, therefore behold, I am against you,' declares the Lord Jehovah.read more.
My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will have no place in the council of my people. They will not be written down in the register of the house of Israel. And they will not enter the land of Israel, that you may know that I am the Lord Jehovah.
For the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie. They have told false dreams! They comfort in vain. They go their way like sheep. They are afflicted because there is no shepherd.
They went on with their prayers from midday till the time of the offering; but there was no voice, or any answer, or any who gave attention to them.
When the people of Moab appear at the worship site, they will only wear themselves out. They will come into the holy place to pray, but they will not be able to.
They are like scarecrows in cucumber fields. They cannot speak. They must be carried, for they cannot walk! Do not fear them! For they can do no harm and they can do no good.
Sometime ago Theudas claimed to be somebody. About four hundred men joined and obeyed him. He was killed and they finally dispersed. After this man Judas of Galilee rose in the days of the taxing, and drew away many people after him. He also perished and all who obeyed him dispersed. I tell you: Leave these men alone. If this message and this work are from men it will come to nothing.
If you died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances: Do not handle. Do not taste. Do not touch. These are the precepts and doctrines of men.read more.
These have, indeed, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body. But these are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.
Do not bring any more worthless grain offerings. Your incense is disgusting to me! So are your New Moon Festivals, your days of worship, and the assemblies you call. I cannot endure your evil assemblies!
You have said: 'There is no value to serve God. What is the use of doing what he says or of trying to show Jehovah of Hosts that we are sorry for what we have done?'
These people honor me with their lips, but their heart (innermost thoughts) is far from me. But their worship is to no purpose, while they give as their teaching the rules (commands) of men.'
He told them: Isaiah prophesied about you hypocrites. It is written: 'This people honor me with their lips but their heart is far from me. They worship me in vain teaching as doctrines the commands of men.'
Brothers, I was not able to speak to you as to spiritual men, but as fleshly men, as babes (infants) in Christ. I fed you milk and not solid food. You were not able to receive it. You are not able now! You are still fleshly! There is envy, strife, and divisions among you. Do you not walk as ordinary men?
If any man thinks he is religious, while he does not control his tongue but deceives his heart, this man's religion is vain (worthless) (useless).
You should avoid foolish arguing and dissentions, questioning; and genealogies, and arguing about law, for they are unprofitable and vain.
The visions your prophets have seen for you are false and foolish! They have not made you fully aware of your sin so your fate might be changed. They have seen for you false words, driving you away.
Let no one deceive you with empty words. It is because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Let no man rob you of your prize by a self-abasement and worshipping of the angels, dwelling in the things that he has seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to argue about words. This is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers.
For, uttering arrogant words of vanity, they entice in the desires (lusts) of the flesh, by sensuality (lasciviousness), those who are just escaping from the ones who live in error.
I am the vine and you are the branches. He that remains with me, and I with him, the same bears much fruit. You can do nothing apart from me.
Now if any man builds upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and stubble; every man's work will be made known, for the day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will prove what sort every man's work is. If a man's work that he built upon lasts, he will receive a reward.read more.
If a man's work will be burned, he will suffer loss: but he will be saved by fire.
Indeed, we have had good news presented to us. They also had it. But the word that was heard did not benefit them because they were not united in faith by what was heard.
Every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. The rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and battered the house and it fell with a great crash.
When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand, the evil one takes away that which was sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside. Anyone sown among the rocky places hears the word and immediately with joy receives it. There is no root in him. He endures for a while. When he has tribulation or persecution because of the word, he falls away.read more.
He that was sown among thorns hears the word. The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, who deceive themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror. He sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what manner of man he was.
Are you willing to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is useless (barren) (lifeless)?
The people of Judah are evil and stubborn. They do not listen to me. They do whatever they want and even worship other gods. When I am finished with these people, they will be good for nothing, just like this linen belt.
Why do the nations conspire together and rage? Why do the peoples plot in vain?
The wicked sees this and becomes angry. He angrily grits his teeth and disappears. The hope of the wicked will perish (be destroyed).
You have rejected all those who wander from your statutes. This is because their deceitfulness is useless.
The hope of the righteous is joy. The prospect for the wicked is bleak.
When a wicked man dies his expectation perishes, indeed the hope of unjust men perishes.
This is what Jehovah of Hosts says: The thick walls of Babylon will be leveled, and its high gates will be set on fire. People exhaust themselves for nothing. The nations wear themselves out only to have a fire.
Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead reprove (expose) (convict) them.
I said: I have toiled in vain. I have spent my energy for nothing and vanity. Yet, to be sure, the justice due to me is with Jehovah. My reward is with my God.
Know that you were redeemed from your futile way of life inherited from your fathers. [The redemption] was not with corruptible things like silver or gold,
If anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.
Topics on Futility
Futility Of Worldly Pursuits
1 Timothy 6:7We brought nothing into the world and we can carry nothing out.
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