Vain

A Song of the Ascents, by Solomon. If Jehovah doth not build the house, In vain have its builders laboured at it, If Jehovah doth not watch a city, In vain hath a watchman waked.

Give to us help from adversity, And vain <FI>is<Fi> the deliverance of man.

The grace <FI>is<Fi> false, and the beauty <FI>is<Fi> vain, A woman fearing Jehovah, she may boast herself.

so that, my brethren beloved, become ye stedfast, unmovable, abounding in the work of the Lord at all times, knowing that your labour is not vain in the Lord.

Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, Vanity of vanities: the whole <FI>is<Fi> vanity.

`And--praying--ye may not use vain repetitions like the nations, for they think that in their much speaking they shall be heard,

In vain I have smitten your sons, Instruction they have not accepted, Devoured hath your sword your prophets, As a destroying lion.

Only, in an image doth each walk habitually, Only, <FI>in<Fi> vain, they are disquieted, He heapeth up and knoweth not who gathereth them.

Add not to bring in a vain present, Incense--an abomination it <FI>is<Fi> to Me, New moon, and sabbath, calling of convocation! Rendure not iniquity--and a restraint!

and again, `The Lord doth know the reasonings of the wise, that they are vain.'

nothing in rivalry or vain-glory, but in humility of mind one another counting more excellent than yourselves--

and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labour that I have laboured to do, and lo, the whole <FI>is<Fi> vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun!

Why have nations tumultuously assembled? And do peoples meditate vanity?

See that no one shall be carrying you away as spoil through the philosophy and vain deceit, according to the deliverance of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Christ,

Not in secret have I spoken, in a dark place of the earth, I have not said to the seed of Jacob, In vain seek ye Me, I <FI>am<Fi> Jehovah, speaking righteousness, Declaring uprightness.

Do ye think that emptily the Writing saith, `To envy earnestly desireth the spirit that did dwell in us,'

Yea, Egyptians <FI>are<Fi> vanity, and in vain do help, Therefore I have cried concerning this: `Their strength <FI>is<Fi> to sit still.'

Who exchange Thee for wickedness, Lifted up to vanity <FI>are<Fi> Thine enemies.

Why do ye weigh money for that which is not bread? And your labour for that which is not for satiety? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat good, And your soul doth delight itself in fatness.

Thus said Jehovah: What--have your fathers found in Me perversity, That they have gone far off from Me, And go after the vanity, and become vain,

And see if a grievous way be in me, And lead me in a way age-during!

He knoweth the thoughts of man, that they <FI>are<Fi> vanity.

Woe <FI>to<Fi> him who is striving with his Former, (A potsherd with potsherds of the ground!) Doth clay say to its Framer, `What dost thou?' And thy work, `He hath no hands?'

having known that, not with corruptible things--silver or gold--were ye redeemed from your foolish behaviour delivered by fathers,

I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole <FI>is<Fi> vanity and vexation of spirit!

Give to us help from adversity, And vain is the salvation of man.

For yourselves have known, brethren, our entrance in unto you, that it did not become vain,

who do not know the thing of the morrow; for what is your life? for it is a vapour that is appearing for a little, and then is vanishing;

I said in my heart, `Pray, come, I try thee with mirth, and look thou on gladness;' and lo, even it <FI>is<Fi> vanity.

If any one doth think to be religious among you, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, of this one vain <FI>is<Fi> the religion;

and if Christ hath not risen, vain is your faith, ye are yet in your sins;

For thus said Jehovah, Creator of heaven, He is God, Former of earth, and its Maker, He established it--not empty He prepared it, For inhabiting He formed it: `I <FI>am<Fi> Jehovah, and there is none else. — read the full passage →

and reject His statutes and His covenant that He made with their fathers, and His testimonies that He testified against them, and go after the vain thing, and become vain, and after the nations that are round about them, of whom Jehovah commanded them not to do like them;

Whoso is tilling the ground is satisfied <FI>with<Fi> bread, And whoso is pursuing vanities is lacking heart,

So I have been caused to inherit months of vanity, And nights of misery they numbered to me.

for of God it is a ministrant to thee for good; and if that which is evil thou mayest do, be fearing, for not in vain doth it bear the sword; for of God it is a ministrant, an avenger for wrath to him who is doing that which is evil.

so many things did ye suffer in vain! if, indeed, even in vain.

the word of life holding forth, for rejoicing to me in regard to a day of Christ, that not in vain did I run, nor in vain did I labour;

Woe <FI>to<Fi> apostate sons, The affirmation of Jehovah! To do counsel, and not from Me, And to spread out a covering, and not of My spirit, So as to add sin to sin.

<FI> Samech.<Fi> Doubting ones I have hated, And Thy law I have loved.

Beloved, every spirit believe not, but prove the spirits, if of God they are, because many false prophets have gone forth to the world;

Let no one deceive you with vain words, for because of these things cometh the anger of God upon the sons of the disobedience,

and in vain do they worship Me, teaching teachings--commands of men.'

And thou, O spoiled one, what dost thou? For thou puttest on scarlet, For thou adornest thyself <FI>with<Fi> ornaments of gold. For thou rendest with pain thine eyes, In vain thou dost make thyself fair, Kicked against thee have doting ones, Thy life they do seek.

A false thing <FI>is<Fi> the horse for safety, And by the abundance of his strength He doth not deliver.

Jehovah made void the counsel of nations, He disallowed the thoughts of the peoples.

Let him not put credence in vanity, He hath been deceived, For vanity is his recompence.

and ye do not turn aside after the vain things which do not profit nor deliver, for they <FI>are<Fi> vain,

Let no one say, being tempted--`From God I am tempted,' for God is not tempted of evil, and Himself doth tempt no one,

that through two immutable things, in which <FI>it is<Fi> impossible for God to lie, a strong comfort we may have who did flee for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before <FI>us<Fi> ,

having a form of piety, and its power having denied; and from these be turning away,

for of Him we are workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God did before prepare, that in them we may walk.

And he answering said, `Thou shalt love the Lord thy God out of all thy heart, and out of all thy soul, and out of all thy strength, and out of all thy understanding, and thy neighbour as thyself.'

Then Jesus was led up to the wilderness by the Spirit, to be tempted by the Devil, — read the full passage →

`Because that thou hast not served Jehovah thy God with joy, and with gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things-- — read the full passage →

But say may some one, Thou hast faith, and I have works, shew me thy faith out of thy works, and I will shew thee out of my works my faith:

Before destruction <FI>is<Fi> pride, And before stumbling--a haughty spirit.'

A Song of the Ascents, by Solomon. If Jehovah doth not build the house, In vain have its builders laboured at it, If Jehovah doth not watch a city, In vain hath a watchman waked. — read the full passage →

O Timotheus, the thing entrusted guard thou, avoiding the profane vain-words and opposition of the falsely-named knowledge,

And working together also we call upon <FI>you<Fi> that ye receive not in vain the grace of God--

If with the tongues of men and of messengers I speak, and have not love, I have become brass sounding, or a cymbal tinkling;

because, having known God they did not glorify <FI>Him<Fi> as God, nor gave thanks, but were made vain in their reasonings, and their unintelligent heart was darkened,

`If ye love me, my commands keep,

Jesus answered and said to him, `Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born from above, he is not able to see the reign of God;'

and Jesus having taken up <FI>the word<Fi> , said, `A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and having stripped him and inflicted blows, they went away, leaving <FI>him<Fi> half dead. — read the full passage →

and in vain do they worship Me, teaching teachings, commands of men;

Then saith Jesus to him, `Turn back thy sword to its place; for all who did take the sword, by the sword shall perish; — read the full passage →

Ephraim is enjoying wind, And is pursuing an east wind, All the day lying and spoiling he multiplieth, And a covenant with Asshur they make, And oil to Egypt is carried.

Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, the wall of Babylon--The broad one--is utterly made bare, And her high gates with fire are burnt, And peoples labour in vain, And nations in fire, and have been weary!

But My people have forgotten Me, to a vain thing they make perfume, And they cause them to stumble in their ways--paths of old, To walk in paths--a way not raised up,

How do ye say, We <FI>are<Fi> wise, And the law of Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> with us? Surely, lo, falsely it hath wrought, The false pen of scribes.

Wash from evil thy heart, O Jerusalem, That thou mayest be saved, Till when dost thou lodge in thy heart Thoughts of thy strength?

There is none calling in righteousness, And there is none pleading in faithfulness, Trusting on emptiness, and speaking falsehood, Conceiving perverseness, and bearing iniquity.

For who knoweth what <FI>is<Fi> good for a man in life, the number of the days of the life of his vanity, and he maketh them as a shadow? for who declareth to man what is after him under the sun?

For, in the abundance of dreams both vanities and words abound; but fear thou God.

And I have seen all the labour, and all the benefit of the work, because for it a man is the envy of his neighbour. Even this <FI>is<Fi> vanity and vexation of spirit.

And I have hated life, for sad to me <FI>is<Fi> the work that hath been done under the sun, for the whole <FI>is<Fi> vanity and vexation of spirit.

Whoso is sowing perverseness reapeth sorrow, And the rod of his anger weareth out.

There is a way right before a man, And its latter end--ways of death.

By David. Blessed <FI>is<Fi> Jehovah my rock, who is teaching My hands for war, my fingers for battle.

Search me, O God, and know my heart, Try me, and know my thoughts, — read the full passage →

Lo, handbreadths Thou hast made my days, And mine age <FI>is<Fi> as nothing before Thee, Only, all vanity <FI>is<Fi> every man set up. Selah. — read the full passage →

Surely vanity God doth not hear, And the Mighty doth not behold it.

I also do this to you, and I have appointed over you trouble, the consumption, and the burning fever, consuming eyes, and causing pain of soul; and your seed in vain ye have sowed, and your enemies have eaten it;

`For I <FI>am<Fi> Jehovah your God, and ye have sanctified yourselves, and ye have been holy, for I <FI>am<Fi> holy; and ye do not defile your persons with any teeming thing which is creeping on the earth;

`Thou dost not take up the name of Jehovah thy God for a vain thing, for Jehovah acquitteth not him who taketh up His name for a vain thing.

`And only your blood for your lives do I require; from the hand of every living thing I require it, and from the hand of man, from the hand of every man's brother I require the life of man; — read the full passage →

And the man knew Eve his wife, and she conceiveth and beareth Cain, and saith, `I have gotten a man by Jehovah;' — read the full passage →

because it hath been written, `Become ye holy, because I am holy;'

and apart from faith it is impossible to please well, for it behoveth him who is coming to God to believe that He is, and to those seeking Him He becometh a rewarder.

and if any one for his own--and especially for those of the household--doth not provide, the faith he hath denied, and than an unbeliever he is worse.

and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of the darkness and rather even convict,

for by grace ye are having been saved, through faith, and this not of you--of God the gift, — read the full passage →

for all the law in one word is fulfilled--in this: `Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself;'

and they said, `Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved--thou and thy house;'

and the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and remind you of all things that I said to you.

`Ye heard that it was said: Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth; — read the full passage →

And having seen the multitudes, he went up to the mount, and he having sat down, his disciples came to him, — read the full passage →

Jesus said to him again, `It hath been written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.'

For I <FI>am<Fi> Jehovah, I have not changed, And ye, the sons of Jacob, Ye have not been consumed.