29 Bible Verses about Futility

Who know not what shall be on the morrow; for what is your life? It is a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away:

For the sun arose with a burning heat, and withered the grass, and the flower fell off, and the beauty of it's appearance perished: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

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

Because knowing God, they did not glorify him as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their reasonings, and their foolish heart was darkened.

This therefore I say and testify in the Lord, that ye no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles, in the vanity of your mind: Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, by the ignorance that is in them, through the hardness of their hearts:

He hath wrought strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted them of low degree.

For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody, to whom was joined a number of men, about four hundred, who was slain, and all who hearkened to him were scattered and came to nothing. After this man rose up Judas of Galilee, in the days of the inrolment, and drew away much people after him; he also perished, and all who had hearkened to him were dispersed. And now I say to you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone; for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought.

Therefore if ye are dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as living in the world, receive ye ordinances, (Touch not, taste not, handle not: All which are to perish in the using) after the commandments and doctrines of men?read more.
Which things (though they have indeed a shew of wisdom, in voluntary worship and humility, and not sparing the body) yet are not of any value, but are to the satisfying of the flesh.

This people draweth nigh to me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

He answering said to them, Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto babes in Christ. I fed you with milk, not with meat; for ye were not yet able to bear it: nor are ye now able. For ye are still carnal: for while there is among you emulation, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk according to man?

If any one be ever so religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings 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 none defraud you of your reward by a voluntary humility and worship of angels, intruding into the things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

From which some, having missed the mark, are turned aside to vain jangling:

Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord, not to strive about words, to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.

For by speaking swelling words of vanity, they allure thro' the desire of the flesh, thro' wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them that live in error.

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

wood, hay, stubble, Every one's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it: for it is revealed by fire; yea the fire shall try every one's work, of what sort it is. If any one's work which he hath built thereon shall remain, he shall receive a reward.read more.
If any one's work shall be burnt, he shall suffer loss, but himself shall be saved, yet so as through the fire.

For unto us hath the gospel been preached as well as unto them; but the word heard did not profit them, not being mixt with faith in those that heard it.

But every one that heareth these my sayings, and doth them not, shall be likened to a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it.

and considereth it not, the wicked one cometh, and catcheth away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the way-side. But he who received the seed in stony places, is he that heareth the word, and immediately receiveth it with joy. Yet hath he not root in himself, and so endureth but for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straight-way he is offended.read more.
He that received the seed among the thorns, is he that heareth the word: and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves: For if any one be an hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man beholding his natural face in a glass. For he beheld himself, and went away, and immediately forgot what manner of man he was.

But art thou willing to know, O empty man, that faith without works is dead?

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

Seeing ye know ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation delivered by tradition from your fathers,

If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, consecrated and fit for the master's use, prepared for every good work.