33 Bible Verses about Useless Endeavour

Vanity of vanities! saith the Proclaimer, vanity of vanities! all, is vanity.

Vanity of vanities, saith the Proclaimer, all, is vanity.

For, as regardeth the destiny of the sons of men and the destiny of beasts, one fate, have they, as dieth the one, so, dieth the other, and, one spirit, have they all, - and, the pre-eminence of man over beast, is nothing, for, all, were vanity:

But, though, many years, a man live, through them all, let him rejoice; yet let him remember the days of darkness, for many they may be, all that cometh, may be vanity.

I saw all the works which were done under the sun, - and lo! all, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.

yea I have given my heart, to know wisdom, and to know madness, and folly, - I know that, even this, is a feeding on wind.

When, I, looked upon all my works, which my hands had made, and on my toil, whereon I had toilsomely wrought, then lo! all, was vanity, and feeding on wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

Therefore I hated life, for, a vexation unto me, was the work which was done under the sun, - for, all, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.

For, to a man who is good before him, hath he given wisdom and knowledge and gladness, - whereas, to the sinner, he hath given employment, to gather and heap up, to give to one who is good before God, even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.

Then saw, I, all the toil and all the skill of the work, that, for this, a man was envied of his neighbour, - even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.

There was no end to all the people, to all before whom he came, yet, they who should come later, would not rejoice in him, - surely, even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.

Better what the eyes behold, than the wandering of desire, - even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.

Said, I, in my heart, Come now! I will prove thee with gladness, and look thou on blessedness, - but lo! even that, was vanity.

Then said, I, in my heart, As it happeneth to the dullard, even to me, will it happen, but wherefore, then, became, I, wise to excess? Therefore spake I, in my heart, Even this, is vanity.

and who could know whether a, wise man, he would be or a foolish, and yet he would lord it over all my toil, wherein I had toiled and wherein I had acted wisely, under the sun, - even this, was vanity.

For here is a man, whose toil hath been with wisdom and with knowledge and with skill, - yet, to a man who hath not toiled therein, shall he leave it as his portion, even this, was vanity and a great vexation.

For, all his days, are pains, and, vexatious, is his employment, even in the night, his heart lieth not down, - even this, was, vanity.

Here is one, without a second, even son or brother, he hath none, yet is there no end to all his toil, even his eye, is not satisfied with riches, - neither saith he For whom, am I toiling, and letting my soul want good? Even this, was vanity, yea a vexatious employment, it was!

He that loveth silver, shall not be satisfied with silver nor, he that loveth abundance, with revenue, - -even this, was vanity.

A man to whom God giveth riches and gains and honour, so that nothing doth he lack for his soul - of all that he craveth, and yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but, a man unknown, eateth it, - this, was vanity, and, an incurable evil, it was.

For, as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so, is the laughter of the dullard, - even this, then, was vanity.

And, thereupon, I considered the lawless when buried, when they had entered, their graves , that, from the place of the Holy One, they used to go and boast in the city that they had so done, - even this, was vanity.

Here was a vain thing which was done upon the earth - that there were righteous men unto whom it happened according to the work of the lawless, and there were lawless men, unto whom it happened according to the work of the righteous, - I said, that, even this, was vanity.

Then again, I, looked at a vain thing under the sun: -

For, unto vanity, hath creation been made subject - not by choice, but by reason of him that made it subject, in hope

but rejected his statutes, and his covenant, which he solemnised with their fathers, and his testimonies wherewith he testified against them, - and followed vanity, and became vain, and followed the nations that were round about them, as to whom Yahweh charged them, so that they should not do like them.

He that tilleth his land, shall be filled with food, but, he that runneth after worthless men, lacketh sense.

So he ended, in a breath, their days, And their years, in a sudden terror!

So, have I been made to inherit months of calamity, and, nights of weariness, have been appointed me.

Let no one trust in him that - by vanity - is deceived, for, vanity, shall be his recompense;

Knowing that, Not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, have ye been redeemed from your unmeaning behaviour paternally handed down,

And, the unprofitable servant, cast ye forth into the darkness, outside: There, shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Whereas, the sons of the kingdom, shall be cast forth into the darkness outside, - There, will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.