30 Bible Verses about Useless Labour

If I am wicked, why then labor I in vain?

In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and destroyed, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.

Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts that the people shall labor to feed the fire, and the people shall weary themselves in vain?

Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he has repaid me evil for good.

As for us, our eyes as yet failed, watching for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.

And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield its increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.

Thus says the LORD of hosts; The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; and the people shall labor in vain, and the nations, because of the fire, and they shall be weary.

It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he gives his beloved sleep.

I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning fever, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

The bellows blow fiercely, the lead is consumed by the fire; the smelter refines in vain: for the wicked are not removed.

And when you are plundered, what will you do? Though you clothe yourself with crimson, though you deck yourself with ornaments of gold, though you enlarge your eyes with paint, in vain shall you make yourself fair; your lovers will despise you, they will seek your life.

I am afraid for you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain.

Then I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing, and in vain: yet surely my due justice is with the LORD, and my recompense with my God.

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I called her, Rahab who sits still.

In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword has devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be warmed and filled; yet you give them not those things which are needful to the body; what does it profit?

And he shall consecrate unto the LORD the days of his separation, and shall bring a lamb of the first year for a trespass offering: but the days that were before shall be lost, because his separation was defiled.

And they shall comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings: and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, says the Lord GOD.

And they shall know that I am the LORD, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them.

And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them who were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor be in vain.

Have you suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the descendants of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.

Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, you may be ready:

Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain.

I therefore so run, not with uncertainty; so fight I, not as one that beats the air:

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, since you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

For yourselves, brethren, know our visit unto you, that it was not in vain: