36 Bible Verses about Vanity

For my people hath forgotten me: they burn incense to vanity; and they have caused them to stumble in their ways, the ancient paths, to walk in by-paths of a way not cast up;

Man is like to vanity; his days are as a shadow that passeth away.

O Timotheus, keep the entrusted deposit, avoiding profane, vain babblings, and oppositions of false-named knowledge,

But profane, vain babblings shun, for they will advance to greater impiety,

Of these things put in remembrance, testifying earnestly before the Lord not to have disputes of words, profitable for nothing, to the subversion of the hearers.

which things some having missed, have turned aside to vain discourse,

I have hated them that observe lying vanities; and as for me, I have confided in Jehovah.

But they are one and all senseless and foolish; the teaching of vanities is a stock.

For my people hath forgotten me: they burn incense to vanity; and they have caused them to stumble in their ways, the ancient paths, to walk in by-paths of a way not cast up;

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

They that form a graven image are all of them vanity, and their delectable things are of no profit; and they are their own witnesses: they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?

And so it was, because the children of Israel had sinned against Jehovah their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods; and they walked in the statutes of the nations that Jehovah had dispossessed from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made. And the children of Israel did secretly against Jehovah their God things that were not right; and they built them high places in all their cities, from the watchmen's tower to the fortified city. read more.
And they set them up columns and Asherahs on every high hill and under every green tree; and there they burned incense on all the high places, as did the nations that Jehovah had carried away from before them, and they wrought wicked things to provoke Jehovah to anger; and they served idols, as to which Jehovah had said to them, Ye shall not do this thing. And Jehovah testified against Israel and against Judah, by all the prophets, all the seers, saying, Turn from your evil ways, and keep my commandments, my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you through my servants the prophets. But they would not hear, and hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, who did not believe in Jehovah their God. And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant which he had made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he had testified unto them; and they followed vanity and became vain, and went after the nations that were round about them, concerning whom Jehovah had charged them that they should not do like them. And they forsook all the commandments of Jehovah their God, and made them molten images, two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshipped all the host of the heavens, and served Baal; and they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger. Therefore Jehovah was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there remained but the tribe of Judah only. Also Judah kept not the commandments of Jehovah their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they had made. And Jehovah rejected all the seed of Israel; and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight. For Israel had rent the kingdom from the house of David; and they had made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king; and Jeroboam violently turned Israel from following Jehovah, and made them sin a great sin. And the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them: until Jehovah had removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said through all his servants the prophets; and Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria, unto this day.

Let him not trust in vanity: he is deceived, for vanity shall be his recompense;

Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Ask ye now among the nations, Who hath heard such things? The virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing. Shall the snow of Lebanon cease from the rock of the field? Shall the cool flowing waters coming from afar be dried up? For my people hath forgotten me: they burn incense to vanity; and they have caused them to stumble in their ways, the ancient paths, to walk in by-paths of a way not cast up; read more.
to make their land an astonishment, a perpetual hissing: every one that passeth by shall be astonished, and shake his head. As with an east wind will I scatter them before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.

O Timotheus, keep the entrusted deposit, avoiding profane, vain babblings, and oppositions of false-named knowledge,

But foolish questions, and genealogies, and strifes, and contentions about the law, shun; for they are unprofitable and vain.

But profane, vain babblings shun, for they will advance to greater impiety,

Of these things put in remembrance, testifying earnestly before the Lord not to have disputes of words, profitable for nothing, to the subversion of the hearers.

which things some having missed, have turned aside to vain discourse, desiring to be law-teachers, not understanding either what they say or concerning what they so strenuously affirm.

For he giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he giveth travail to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good in God's sight. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

There is one alone and without a second; also he hath neither son nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour, neither is his eye satisfied with riches, and he saith not, For whom then am I labouring, and depriving my soul of good? This also is vanity and a grievous occupation.

His mouth is full of cursing, and deceit, and oppression; under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.

They speak falsehood every one with his neighbour: with flattering lip, with a double heart, do they speak.

And if one come to see me, he speaketh falsehood; his heart gathereth wickedness to itself: he goeth abroad, he telleth it.

who hast said by the mouth of thy servant David, Why have the nations raged haughtily and the peoples meditated vain things?

Because, knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but fell into folly in their thoughts, and their heart without understanding was darkened:

Why are the nations in tumultuous agitation, and why do the peoples meditate a vain thing?

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye should no longer walk as the rest of the nations walk in the vanity of their mind, being darkened in understanding, estranged from the life of God by reason of the ignorance which is in them, by reason of the hardness of their hearts, who having cast off all feeling, have given themselves up to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greedy unsatisfied lust.

For there is revealed wrath of God from heaven upon all impiety, and unrighteousness of men holding the truth in unrighteousness. Because what is known of God is manifest among them, for God has manifested it to them, for from the world's creation the invisible things of him are perceived, being apprehended by the mind through the things that are made, both his eternal power and divinity, so as to render them inexcusable. read more.
Because, knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but fell into folly in their thoughts, and their heart without understanding was darkened: professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of an image of corruptible man and of birds and quadrupeds and reptiles.

Give us help from trouble; for vain is man's deliverance.

Our eyes still failed for our vain help; in our watching, we have watched for a nation that did not save.

They have sown wheat, and they reap thorns; they have put themselves to pain, and do not profit. Be ye therefore ashamed of your revenues, because of the fierce anger of Jehovah.

He that soweth unrighteousness shall reap iniquity, and the rod of his wrath shall have an end.

Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; quicken me in thy way.

Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread of my daily need:

for bodily exercise is profitable for a little, but piety is profitable for everything, having promise of life, of the present one, and of that to come.

Be not carried away with various and strange doctrines; for it is good that the heart be confirmed with grace, not meats; those who have walked in which have not been profited by them.

For who knoweth what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell man what shall be after him under the sun?

I loathe it; I shall not live always: let me alone, for my days are a breath.

Verily, man walketh in a vain show; verily they are disquieted in vain; he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye should no longer walk as the rest of the nations walk in the vanity of their mind,

Canst thou by searching find out +God? canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection? It is as the heights of heaven; what wilt thou do? deeper than Sheol; what canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea. read more.
If he pass by, and shut up, and call to judgment, who can hinder him? For he knoweth vain men, and seeth wickedness when man doth not consider it; Yet a senseless man will make bold, though man be born like the foal of a wild ass.

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and that by works faith was perfected.

When thou criest, let them that are gathered by thee deliver thee! But a wind shall carry them all away, a breath shall take them; but he that putteth his trust in me shall inherit the land, and possess my holy mountain.

And he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.

who hast said by the mouth of thy servant David, Why have the nations raged haughtily and the peoples meditated vain things?

Because, knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but fell into folly in their thoughts, and their heart without understanding was darkened:

Why are the nations in tumultuous agitation, and why do the peoples meditate a vain thing?

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as those who are of the nations: for they think they shall be heard through their much speaking.

Bring no more vain oblations! Incense is an abomination unto me, new moon and sabbath, the calling of convocations wickedness and the solemn meeting I cannot bear.

What is the Almighty that we should serve him? and what are we profited if we pray unto him?

Ye say, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we keep his charge, and that we walk mournfully before Jehovah of hosts?

Men of low degree are only vanity; men of high degree, a lie: laid in the balance, they go up together lighter than vanity.

When thou with rebukes dost correct a man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely, every man is vanity. Selah.

And when Moses had ended speaking all these words to all Israel, he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words that I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to take heed to do, all the words of this law. For it is no vain word for you, but it is your life, and through this word ye shall prolong your days on the land whereunto ye pass over the Jordan to possess it.

And again, The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise that they are vain.

For there is a man whose labour hath been with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill, and who leaveth it to a man that hath not laboured therein, to be his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

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

What is the Almighty that we should serve him? and what are we profited if we pray unto him?

Ye say, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we keep his charge, and that we walk mournfully before Jehovah of hosts?

His mouth is full of cursing, and deceit, and oppression; under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.

They speak falsehood every one with his neighbour: with flattering lip, with a double heart, do they speak.

And if one come to see me, he speaketh falsehood; his heart gathereth wickedness to itself: he goeth abroad, he telleth it.

When thou criest, let them that are gathered by thee deliver thee! But a wind shall carry them all away, a breath shall take them; but he that putteth his trust in me shall inherit the land, and possess my holy mountain.

And he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.

They have sown wheat, and they reap thorns; they have put themselves to pain, and do not profit. Be ye therefore ashamed of your revenues, because of the fierce anger of Jehovah.

He that soweth unrighteousness shall reap iniquity, and the rod of his wrath shall have an end.

When thou with rebukes dost correct a man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely, every man is vanity. Selah.

Gracefulness is deceitful and beauty is vain; a woman that feareth Jehovah, she shall be praised.

Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; quicken me in thy way.

Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread of my daily need:

And if I shall dole out all my goods in food, and if I deliver up my body that I may be burned, but have not love, I profit nothing.

Then remove discontent from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh; for childhood and youth are vanity.

Verily, man walketh in a vain show; verily they are disquieted in vain; he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye should no longer walk as the rest of the nations walk in the vanity of their mind,

I searched in my heart how to cherish my flesh with wine, while practising my heart with wisdom; and how to lay hold on folly, till I should see what was that good for the children of men which they should do under the heavens all the days of their life.

And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them: I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour, and this was my portion from all my labour. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that it had cost me to do them; and behold, all was vanity and pursuit of the wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

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

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

one to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honour, and he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and a sore evil.

Jehovah, my strength and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of distress, unto thee shall the nations come from the ends of the earth, and they shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited falsehood and vanity; and in these things there is no profit.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us. For the anxious looking out of the creature expects the revelation of the sons of God: for the creature has been made subject to vanity, not of its will, but by reason of him who has subjected the same, in hope read more.
that the creature itself also shall be set free from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.

Verily, man walketh in a vain show; verily they are disquieted in vain; he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

It is vain for you to rise up early, to lie down late, to eat the bread of sorrows: so to his beloved one he giveth sleep.

Wealth gotten by vanity diminisheth; but he that gathereth by manual-labour shall increase it.

He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread; but he that followeth the worthless shall have poverty enough.

Wealth gotten by vanity diminisheth; but he that gathereth by manual-labour shall increase it.

He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread; but he that followeth the worthless is void of understanding.

Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith Jehovah, and that tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies and by their boasting; and I have not sent them, nor commanded them; and they profit not this people at all, saith Jehovah.

SAMECH. The double-minded have I hated; but thy law do I love.

He that soweth unrighteousness shall reap iniquity, and the rod of his wrath shall have an end.

Treasures of wickedness profit nothing; but righteousness delivereth from death.

For while speaking great highflown words of vanity, they allure with the lusts of the flesh, by dissoluteness, those who have just fled those who walk in error,

Thus saith Jehovah: What injustice have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and become vain?

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that it had cost me to do them; and behold, all was vanity and pursuit of the wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

And I saw all labour, and all success of work, that it is man's jealousy of his neighbour. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

knowing that ye have been redeemed, not by corruptible things, as silver or gold, from your vain conversation handed down from your fathers,

for the creature has been made subject to vanity, not of its will, but by reason of him who has subjected the same, in hope

Man is like to vanity; his days are as a shadow that passeth away.

When thou with rebukes dost correct a man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely, every man is vanity. Selah.

He deviseth wickedness up on his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good: he abhorreth not evil.

I have not sat with vain persons, neither have I gone in with dissemblers;

He that hath blameless hands and a pure heart; who lifteth not up his soul unto vanity, nor sweareth deceitfully:

SAMECH. The double-minded have I hated; but thy law do I love.

Behold, thou hast made my days as hand-breadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before thee; verily, every man, even the high placed, is altogether vanity. Selah.

If any one think himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, this man's religion is vain.

What is the profit, my brethren, if any one say he have faith, but have not works? can faith save him?

Jehovah, my strength and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of distress, unto thee shall the nations come from the ends of the earth, and they shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited falsehood and vanity; and in these things there is no profit.

Yet a senseless man will make bold, though man be born like the foal of a wild ass.

For he knoweth vain men, and seeth wickedness when man doth not consider it;

Yet a senseless man will make bold, though man be born like the foal of a wild ass.

For he knoweth vain men, and seeth wickedness when man doth not consider it;

Ye sons of men, till when is my glory to be put to shame? How long will ye love vanity, will ye seek after a lie? Selah.

Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; and they shall not profit thee.

I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards; I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of every kind of fruit; I made me ponds of water, to water therewith the wood, where the trees are reared. read more.
I acquired servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that had been in Jerusalem before me. I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces; I got me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the children of men, a wife and concubines. And I became great, and increased more than all that had been before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them: I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour, and this was my portion from all my labour. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that it had cost me to do them; and behold, all was vanity and pursuit of the wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

Let him not trust in vanity: he is deceived, for vanity shall be his recompense;

For while speaking great highflown words of vanity, they allure with the lusts of the flesh, by dissoluteness, those who have just fled those who walk in error,

And if I shall dole out all my goods in food, and if I deliver up my body that I may be burned, but have not love, I profit nothing.

Jehovah knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

Man is like to vanity; his days are as a shadow that passeth away.

When thou with rebukes dost correct a man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely, every man is vanity. Selah.

Thus saith Jehovah: What injustice have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and become vain?

He deviseth wickedness up on his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good: he abhorreth not evil.

The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting breath of them that seek death.

Men of low degree are only vanity; men of high degree, a lie: laid in the balance, they go up together lighter than vanity.

He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he that loveth abundance with increase. This also is vanity.

Behold, ye confide in words of falsehood that cannot profit.

Unto thee it was shewn, that thou mightest know that Jehovah, he is God there is none other besides him.

I have not sat with vain persons, neither have I gone in with dissemblers;

He that hath blameless hands and a pure heart; who lifteth not up his soul unto vanity, nor sweareth deceitfully:

Ye sons of men, till when is my glory to be put to shame? How long will ye love vanity, will ye seek after a lie? Selah.

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