| Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. | Unless Yahweh builds the house, they who build it labor in vain. Unless Yahweh watches over the city, the watchman guards it in vain. |
| Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. | You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God; for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who misuses his name. |
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| Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. | Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised. |
| Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. | Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. |
| But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. | In praying, don’t use vain repetitions as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. |
| I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. | I don’t reject the grace of God. For if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing! |
| Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. | Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. |
| If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. | If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless. |
| Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. | Doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself. |
| Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. | Knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things like silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot, the blood of Christ. |
| For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. | For the customs of the peoples are vanity; for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the ax. They deck it with silver and with gold. They fasten it with nails and with hammers, so that it can’t move. They are like a palm tree, of turned work, and don’t speak. They must be carried, because they can’t move. Don’t be afraid of them; for they can’t do evil, neither is it in them to do good. |
