Malachi 3:18 promises a future distinction between those who serve God and those who don't, answering the complaint of futility.

Malachi 1:6 rebukes Israel for not honoring God, contrasting with their claim in 3:14 that they serve him faithfully.

In Malachi 1:2, the people question God's love, mirroring the skeptical attitude in Malachi 3:14 about serving God being futile.

In Job 21:14, the wicked say 'Depart from us! We do not desire knowledge of your ways' — expressing the same rejection of serving God as vain.

In Job 21:15, the wicked ask 'What profit do we get if we pray to him?' — nearly identical to the complaint here that serving God brings no profit.

In Job 34:9, Elihu quotes the wicked: 'It profits a man nothing that he should take delight in God' — directly paralleling the charge that serving God is vain.

In Job 35:3, Job asks 'What advantage have I? How am I better off?' — the same question of profit from keeping God's charge.

In Psalm 73:13, the psalmist laments 'All in vain have I kept my heart clean' — matching the claim that serving God is futile.

Zechariah 7:3-6 exposes their fasting as self-serving — the same empty ritual they later whine about being profitless.

Zephaniah 1:12 voices the same skepticism — people who say God does neither good nor ill, mirroring the complaint that serving God is profitless.

In Isaiah 58:3, the people complain that their fasting goes unnoticed — similar to the complaint here that keeping God's charge yields no profit.

In Matthew 25:24, the lazy servant similarly complains that serving the master is unprofitable because he is harsh.

Matthew 15:9 calls worship 'vain' when based on human rules — similar theme of futile religious service.

In Matthew 20:12, the workers who labored all day complain about unfair reward — same grumbling as Malachi's 'what profit is it?'

In Genesis 25:32, Esau despises his birthright as useless — the same attitude as those who call serving God vain.

In Luke 15:29, the older son complains of serving faithfully without reward, directly mirroring the complaint about profitless service.

In Luke 19:21, a servant accuses his master of being severe, similar to the complaint that serving God is vain.

1 Corinthians 15:32 concludes that if no resurrection, serving God is pointless—echoing the complaint that service is vain.

In Isaiah 45:19, God declares he did not say 'seek me in vain' — directly contradicting the claim in Malachi that serving God is vain.

Isaiah 43:22 says Israel has been weary of God — matching the complaint in Malachi that serving God is tiresome and worthless.

Psalm 73:13 echoes the same lament: 'All in vain have I kept my heart clean' — both question the value of serving God.

Psalm 58:11 affirms there is reward for the righteous — directly contradicting the complaint that serving God is profitless.

Job 1:11 has Satan claiming Job serves for profit — the opposite complaint: Malachi says there is no profit.

James 4:9 commands the mourning they consider vain — a call to humble repentance rather than complaint about profit.

Ezekiel 11:5 shows God knows the thoughts of Israel — he is aware of their inward complaints, like the one in Malachi.