80 verses contain “vanity” (in the KJV: 79, in the BSB: 2) — showing 1–80
King James Bible KJV Bible
Berean Standard Bible BSB Bible
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 round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.
They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and themselves became worthless, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to
imitate.
So am I made to possess months of
vanity, and
wearisome nights are appointed to me.
I
loathe it; I would not live
alway: let me alone; for my days are
vanity.
I
loathe my life! I would not live
forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.
Let not him that is
deceived trust in
vanity: for
vanity shall be his recompence.
They conceive mischief, and bring forth
vanity, and their
belly prepareth
deceit.
If I have walked with
vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to
deceit;
Surely God will not hear
vanity, neither will the
Almighty regard it.
Surely God does not
listen to empty pleas, and the
Almighty does not take note of it.
O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love
vanity, and seek after
leasing?
Selah.
How long, O men, will my honor be
maligned? How long will you love
vanity and seek after lies?
Selah His mouth is full of
cursing and
deceit and
fraud: under his tongue is mischief and
vanity.
They speak
vanity every one with his neighbour: with
flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
They lie to one another; they speak with
flattering lips and a double heart.
He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto
vanity, nor
sworn deceitfully.
He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an
idol or
swear deceitfully.
Behold, thou hast made my days as an
handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee:
verily every man at his best state is altogether
vanity.
Selah.
You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath.
Selah When thou with rebukes
dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to
consume away like a
moth: surely every man is
vanity.
Selah.
And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.
Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
Therefore their days did he
consume in
vanity, and their years in trouble.
So He ended their days in
futility, and their years in sudden terror.
The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.
The LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are
futile.
Turn away mine eyes from beholding
vanity; and
quicken thou me in thy way.
Turn my eyes away from worthless things; revive me with Your word.
Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.
Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.
Whose mouth speaketh
vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of
falsehood.
Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh
vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of
falsehood:
Wealth
gotten by
vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.
The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a
vanity tossed to and
fro of them that seek death.
Making a fortune by a lying tongue is a
vanishing mist, a deadly pursuit.
He that soweth iniquity shall
reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.
He who sows injustice will
reap disaster, and the rod of his
fury will be destroyed.
Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
Keep
falsehood and
deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is
vanity and
vexation of spirit.
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be
futile, a pursuit of the wind.
I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with
mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is
vanity.
I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good!” But it proved to be
futile.
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was
vanity and
vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had
toiled to
achieve, I found everything to be
futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
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.
So I said to myself, “The fate of the
fool will also
befall me. What then have I gained by being wise?” And I said to myself that this too is
futile.
Therefore I
hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is
grievous unto me: for all is
vanity and
vexation of spirit.
So I
hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was
grievous to me. For everything is
futile and a pursuit of the wind.
And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a
fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also
vanity.
And who knows whether that man will be wise or
foolish? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked
skillfully under the sun. This too is
futile.
For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in
equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is
vanity and a great evil.
When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is
futile and a great evil.
For all his days are sorrows, and his
travail grief;
yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also
vanity.
Indeed, all his days are filled with grief, and his task is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is
futile.
For God 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 before God. This also is
vanity and
vexation of spirit.
To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the
sinner He assigns the task of gathering and
accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is
futile and a pursuit of the wind.
For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other;
yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is
vanity.
For the fates of both men and beasts are the same: As one dies, so dies the other—they all have the same breath. Man has no advantage over the animals, since everything is
futile.
Again, I considered all
travail, and every right work, that for this a man is
envied of his neighbour. This is also
vanity and
vexation of spirit.
I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s
envy of his
neighbor. This too is
futile and a pursuit of the wind.
Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.
There is one alone, and there is not a second;
yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and
bereave my soul of good? This is also
vanity,
yea, it is a
sore travail.
There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I
toil and
bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is
futile—a
miserable task.
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.
There is no limit to all the people who were before them. Yet the successor will not be celebrated by those who come even later. This too is
futile and a pursuit of the wind.
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is
futile.
A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that 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 it is an evil disease.
God gives a man riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires; but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is
futile and a
grievous affliction.
For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.
Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also
vanity and
vexation of spirit.
Better what the eye can see than the wandering of desire. This too is
futile and a pursuit of the wind.
Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?
For the more words, the more
futility—and how does that profit
anyone?
All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.
In my
futile life I have seen both of these: A righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.
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.
Then too, I saw the burial of the wicked who used to go in and out of the holy place, and they were praised in the city where they had done so. This too is
futile.
There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.
There is a
futility that is done on the earth: There are righteous men who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, and there are wicked men who get what the actions of the righteous deserve. I say that this too is
futile.
Live
joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy
vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy
vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
Enjoy life with your beloved wife all the days of the fleeting life that God has given you under the sun—all your fleeting days. For this is your portion in life and in your labor under the sun.
But if a man 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.
So if a man lives many years, let him
rejoice in them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is
futile.
Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for
childhood and youth are
vanity.
So
banish sorrow from your heart, and cast off pain from your body, for youth and
vigor are fleeting.
Vanity of
vanities, saith the preacher; all is
vanity.
Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of
vanity, and sin as it were with a
cart rope:
Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of
deceit and pull sin along with
cart ropes,
And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to
sift the nations with the
sieve of
vanity: and there shall be a
bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to
err.
His breath is like a
rushing torrent that rises to the neck. He comes to
sift the nations in a
sieve of destruction; He bridles the jaws of the peoples to lead them
astray.
All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.
All the nations are as nothing before Him; He regards them as nothingness and
emptiness.
That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
He brings the princes to nothing and makes the rulers of the earth meaningless.
Behold, they are all
vanity; their works are nothing: their
molten images are wind and confusion.
See, they are all a
delusion; their works amount to nothing; their images are as empty as the wind.
They that make a
graven image are all of them
vanity; and their
delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be
ashamed.
All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they
treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or
comprehend, so they are put to shame.
Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for
nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.
But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength in
futility and
vanity; yet My
vindication is with the LORD, and My reward is with My God.”
When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away;
vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall
inherit my holy mountain;
When you cry out, let your companies of idols deliver you! Yet the wind will carry off all of them, a breath will take them away. But he who seeks refuge in Me will
inherit the land and possess My holy mountain.”
Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry out, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and
malicious talk,
None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case
honestly. They
rely on empty pleas; they tell lies; they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.
Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?
This is what the LORD says: “What fault did your fathers find in Me that they
strayed so far from Me, and followed worthless idols, and became worthless themselves?
They are
vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their
visitation they shall perish.
They are worthless, a work to be
mocked. In the time of their punishment they will perish.
O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of
affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies,
vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.
O LORD, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in the day of distress, the nations will come to You from the ends of the earth, and they will say, “Our fathers inherited nothing but lies, worthless idols of no benefit at all.
Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to
vanity, and they have caused them to
stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up;
Yet My people have forgotten Me. They burn incense to worthless idols that make them
stumble in their ways, leaving the ancient roads to walk on
rutted bypaths instead of on the
highway.
They are
vanity, the work of errors: in the time of their
visitation they shall perish.
They are worthless, a work to be
mocked. In the time of their punishment they will perish.
They have seen
vanity and lying
divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would
confirm the word.
They see false visions and speak lying divinations. They claim, ‘Thus declares the LORD,’ when the LORD did not send them; yet they wait for the
fulfillment of their message.
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord GOD.
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Because you have uttered vain words and seen false visions, I am against you, declares the Lord GOD.
And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and speak lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of My people or be recorded in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.
Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice
divination. I will deliver My people from your hands. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”
Whiles they see vanity unto thee, whiles they divine a lie unto thee, to bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain, of the wicked, whose day is come, when their iniquity shall have an end.
while they offer false visions for you and lying divinations about you— to be placed on the necks of the wicked who are slain, whose day has come, the time of their final punishment.
And her prophets have
daubed them with untempered
morter, seeing
vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.
Her prophets
whitewash these deeds by false visions and lying divinations, saying, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says,’ when the LORD has not spoken.
Is there iniquity in
Gilead? surely they are
vanity: they sacrifice bullocks in
Gilgal;
yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields.
Is there iniquity in
Gilead? They will surely come to nothing. Do they sacrifice bulls in
Gilgal? Indeed, their altars will be heaps of stones in the furrows of the field.
Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall
weary themselves for very
vanity?
Is it not indeed from the LORD of Hosts that the labor of the people only feeds the fire, and the nations
weary themselves in vain?
For the idols have spoken
vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no
shepherd.
For idols speak
deceit and diviners see illusions; they tell false dreams and offer empty comfort. Therefore the people
wander like sheep,
oppressed for lack of a
shepherd.
For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
For the creation was subjected to
futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope
This I say therefore, and
testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the
vanity of their mind,
So I tell you this, and
insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the
futility of their thinking.
For when they speak great swelling words of
vanity, they
allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much
wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
With lofty but empty words, they appeal to the
sensual passions of the flesh and
entice those who are just escaping from others who live in error.