33 Bible Verses about Useless Endeavour

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

Vanity of vanities saith the preacher; all is vanity.

For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yes, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no pre-eminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

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

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do: and behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous to me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

For God giveth to a man who is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth toil, to gather, and to amass, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Again, I considered all labor, and every right work, that for this a man is envied by his neighbor. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and behold, this also is vanity.

Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.

And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have showed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

For there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not labored in it, shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

For all his days are sorrows, and his labor grief; yes, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

There is one alone, and there is not a second; yes, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labor; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labor, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yes, it is a grievous labor.

He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.

A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honor, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat of it, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

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

And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.

There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there are just men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.

Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.

For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope:

And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were around them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.

He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding.

Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.

So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.

Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompense.

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain course of life received by tradition from your fathers;

And cast ye the unprofitable servant into utter darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into utter darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.