33 Bible Verses about Useless Endeavour

Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

Vanity of vanities, says the preacher; all is vanity.

What happens to the sons of men also happens to animals. As the one dies so the other dies. Yes, they all have one breath so that a man has no advantage over animals. For all is vanity.

If a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness for they will be many. All that comes is vanity.

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun. Behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

I gave my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I know that this also is a striving after wind.

I looked at all the works my hands accomplished. I saw everything I had worked to do. I saw that all was vanity and grasping for the wind. It was to no purpose for there was no profit under the sun.

I hated life. Everything under the sun was evil to me. All is vanity and grasping for the wind.

To the man who is good, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy. But to the sinner he gives the work of getting goods together and storing up wealth, to give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

I have learned why people work so hard to succeed. It is because they envy the things their neighbors have. But it is vanity! It is like chasing the wind.

There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them. Those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering after the desire. This is also vanity and a striving after wind.

I said in my heart, Come now, I will test you with rejoicing. Consider goodness. This also is vanity.

Then I said in my heart: As it happens to the fool, so it will happen to me. Why have I been so wise? Then I said in my heart: This also is vanity.

Who knows if he will be a wise man or a fool? But he will have power over all the work that I have done and in which I have been wise under the sun. This too is vanity.

Because there is a man whose work has been done with wisdom, with knowledge, and with an expert hand. But one who has done nothing for it will have it for his heritage. This also is vanity and a great evil.

All his days are sorrow, and his work is full of grief. Even in the night his heart has no rest. This again is vanity.

There is a man who is by himself, without a companion. He is without son or brother. There is no end to all his work. He never has enough wealth. Nor is his eye satisfied with riches. He never asks: For whom do I labor and deprive myself of pleasure? This too is vanity and a terrible problem.

He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth, with gain. This too is vanity.

God has given man riches, wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires. Yet God has not empowered him to partake of them for a foreigner enjoys them. This is vanity and a severe affliction.

For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.

I saw the wicked buried, those who had come and gone out of the holy place. They were forgotten in the city where they had so done. This also is vanity.

There is a futility that is done upon the earth. There are righteous men who get along as though they were wicked and there are wicked men who get along as though they were righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

Then I came back and saw vanity under the sun.

For the creation was subject to corruption, not by it's own will but by reason of the one who subjected it on the basis of hope.

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.

He who tills his land will have plenty of bread. He who follows worthless people lacks sense.

He brought their days to an end like a whisper in the wind. He brought their years to an end in terror.

I am allotted months of futility, long and weary nights of misery.

Let him not deceive himself by trusting what is worthless. He will get nothing in return.

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,

Throw the worthless servant into outer darkness. There will be crying and grinding of teeth.'

but the sons of the kingdom will be cast forth into the outer darkness: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.