King James Version

1 Samuel 12:21

And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.

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Hebrew

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וְלֹ֖אveloand no , -r,לֹאconjunction, particle, negative — “and no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…תָּס֑וּרוּtasurvturnסוּרverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “turn”, an unfinished actionH5493to turn off (literal or figurative)be(-head), bring, call back, decline, depart, eschew, get (you), go (aside), [idiom] grievous, lay away (by), leave undone, be past, pluck away, put (away, down), rebel, remove (to and fro), revolt, [idiom] be sour, take (away, off), turn…כִּ֣יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…אַחֲרֵ֣יachareafterאַחַרpreposition — “after”H310properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, [phrase] out (over) live, [phrase] persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, the…הַתֹּ֗הוּhatohvthe vainתֹּהוּdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the vain”, the ordinary formH8414a desolation (of surface), i.e. desert; figuratively, a worthless thing; adverbially, in vainconfusion, empty place, without form, nothing, (thing of) nought, vain, vanity, waste, wilderness.אֲשֶׁ֧רasherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, relative — “because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…לֹֽאlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…יוֹעִ֛ילוּyoilvprofitיַעַלverb, hiphil, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “profit”, an unfinished actionH3276properly, to ascend; figuratively, to be valuable (objectively; useful, subjectively; benefited)[idiom] at all, set forward, can do good, (be, have) profit, (able).וְלֹ֥אveloand no , -r,לֹאconjunction, particle, negative — “and no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…יַצִּ֖ילוּyatsilvdefendנָצַלverb, hiphil, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “defend”, an unfinished actionH5337to snatch away, whether in a good or a bad sense[idiom] at all, defend, deliver (self), escape, [idiom] without fail, part, pluck, preserve, recover, rescue, rid, save, spoil, strip, [idiom] surely, take (out).כִּיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…תֹ֥הוּtohvvainתֹּהוּnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “vain”, the ordinary formH8414a desolation (of surface), i.e. desert; figuratively, a worthless thing; adverbially, in vainconfusion, empty place, without form, nothing, (thing of) nought, vain, vanity, waste, wilderness.הֵֽמָּהhemahtheyהֵםpronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “they”H1992they (only used when emphatic)it, like, [idiom] (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, [idiom] so, [idiom] such, their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

and turn ye not aside; for then should ye go after vain things which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are vain.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

and turn ye not aside; for then would ye go after vain things which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are vain.

Young’s Literal Translation

and ye do not turn aside after the vain things which do not profit nor deliver, for they [are] vain,

World English Bible

Don’t turn away to go after vain things which can’t profit or deliver, for they are vain.

Darby Translation

and turn ye not aside; for [it would be] after vain things which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.

Douay-Rheims

And turn not aside after vain things which shall never profit you, nor deliver you, because they are vain.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

and turn ye not aside; for then should ye go after vain things which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are vain.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And turn not aside after the gods that are nothing, who will do nothing, and will not deliver you , because they are nothing.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ μὴ παραβῆτε ὀπίσω τῶν μηθὲν ὄντων, οἳ οὐ περανοῦσιν οὐθὲν, καὶ οἳ οὐκ ἐξελοῦνται, ὅτι οὐθέν εἰσιν.