| Unless Yahweh builds the house, they who build it labor in vain. Unless Yahweh watches over the city, the watchman guards it in vain. | Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. |
| Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised. | Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. |
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| You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God; for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who misuses his name. | You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. |
| 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. | Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. |
| In praying, don’t use vain repetitions as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. | And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. |
| 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. | Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. |
| I don’t reject the grace of God. For if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing! | I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! |
| Doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself. | Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves. |
| 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. | Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. |
| 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 you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. |
| 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. | For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good. |
