Parallel Verses
Bible in Basic English
For if you give a blessing with the spirit, how will the man who has no knowledge say, So be it, after your prayer, seeing that he has not taken in what you are saying?
New American Standard Bible
Otherwise if you bless
King James Version
Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?
Holman Bible
Otherwise, if you praise with the spirit,
International Standard Version
Otherwise, if you say a blessing with your spirit, how can an otherwise uneducated person say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you're saying?
A Conservative Version
Otherwise if thou would bless with the spirit, how will the man who fills the place of the unlearned, say the Truly at thy thanksgiving, since he knows not what thou say?
American Standard Version
Else if thou bless with the spirit, how shall he that filleth the place of the unlearned say the Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he knoweth not what thou sayest?
Amplified
Otherwise if you bless [and give thanks to God] in the spirit only, how will any outsider or someone who is not gifted [in spiritual matters] say the “Amen” [of agreement] to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?
An Understandable Version
For if you [ask God to] bless with your spirit [i.e., in a language supernaturally], how will the person there, who does not have the gift [i.e., of interpreting the language] be able to say, "May it be so," when you offer [a prayer of] thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?
Anderson New Testament
Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit that is given to you, how will he that occupies the place of the unlearned man say Amen, when you give thanks, since he understands not what you say?
Common New Testament
Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how can any one in the position of an outsider say the "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?
Daniel Mace New Testament
otherwise if you should give thanks by the spirit in an unknown tongue, the hearer cannot but appear unlearned upon this occasion; how then can he say Amen to thy thanksgiving? since he does not conceive what you say.
Darby Translation
Since otherwise, if thou blessest with the spirit, how shall he who fills the place of the simple Christian say Amen, at thy giving of thanks, since he does not know what thou sayest?
Godbey New Testament
Since if you may bless with the spirit, how will one occupying the place of the unlearned say Amen to your blessing? since he does not know what you are saying.
Goodspeed New Testament
For if you utter blessings in ecstatic speech, how is an ordinary man to say Amen to your thanksgiving? For he does not know what you are saying.
John Wesley New Testament
Otherwise if thou givest thanks with the Spirit, how shall he that filleth the place of a private person, say Amen to thy thanksgiving, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?
Julia Smith Translation
When if thou praise in the spirit, how shall he filling the place of the private individual say Amen at thy thanksgiving) since he knows not what thou sayest
King James 2000
Else when you shall bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupies the place of the unlearned say Amen at your giving of thanks, seeing he understands not what you said?
Lexham Expanded Bible
For otherwise, if you praise in [your] spirit, how will the one who fills the place of the outsider say the "amen" at your thanksgiving, because he does not know what you are saying?
Modern King James verseion
Else, if you bless in the spirit, he occupying the place of the unlearned, how will he say the amen at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you say?
Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale
For else when thou blessest with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say "amen" at thy giving of thanks? Seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?
Moffatt New Testament
Otherwise, suppose you are blessing God in the Spirit, how is the outsider to say 'Amen' to your thanksgiving? The man does not understand what you are saying!
Montgomery New Testament
For if you in your spirit bless God, how shall he who fills the place of the unlearned say the Amen to your thanksgiving, when he does not know what you are talking about?
NET Bible
Otherwise, if you are praising God with your spirit, how can someone without the gift say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?
New Heart English Bible
Otherwise if you bless with the spirit, how will he who fills the place of the unlearned say the "Amen" at your giving of thanks, seeing he does not know what you say?
Noyes New Testament
Else, if thou bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the place of the unlearned say the Amen at thy giving of thanks, since he understandeth not what thou art saying?
Sawyer New Testament
since if you bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupies the place of the unlearned say, Amen, to your thanksgiving, since he knows not what you say?
The Emphasized Bible
Else, if thou be blessing in a spirit, he that filleth up the place of the ungifted person, how shall he say the Amen upon thy thanksgiving? since indeed, what thou art saying, he knoweth not;
Thomas Haweis New Testament
Else, though thou bless God in spirit, how shall he who filleth the place of an illiterate man, say Amen after thy thanksgiving, seeing he knoweth not what thou sayest?
Twentieth Century New Testament
If you bless God with your spirit only, how can the man in the congregation who is without your gift say 'Amen' to your thanksgiving? He does not know what you are saying!
Webster
Else, when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?
Weymouth New Testament
Otherwise, if you bless God in spirit only, how shall he who is in the position of an ungifted man say the 'Amen' to your giving of thanks, when he does not know what your words mean?
Williams New Testament
how is the man who occupies the place of the illiterate to say "Amen" to your thanksgiving? For he does not know what you are saying.
World English Bible
Otherwise if you bless with the spirit, how will he who fills the place of the unlearned say the "Amen" at your giving of thanks, seeing he doesn't know what you say?
Worrell New Testament
Else, if you are blessing with the spirit, how will he who fills the place of the unlearned say the "Amen" at your giving of thanks, since he knows not what you say?
Worsley New Testament
For if thou bless in the spirit, how shall the unlearned say Amen to thy thanksgiving, when he knoweth not what thou sayst?
Youngs Literal Translation
since, if thou mayest bless with the spirit, he who is filling the place of the unlearned, how shall he say the Amen at thy giving of thanks, since what thou dost say he hath not known?
Themes
Interpretation » Of foreign tongues
public Prayer » Should not be made in an unknown language
Prophecy and prophets » Prophesying vs. Tongues
Tongues » Tongues vs. Prophesying
Tongues (the gift) » The miraculous gift granted to some early Christians
Interlinear
Epei
Pneuma
Eucharistia
Epeide
Eido
References
Morish
Smith
Watsons
Word Count of 37 Translations in 1 Corinthians 14:16
Verse Info
Context Readings
Appropriate Use Of Prophecy And Tongues
15 What then? let my prayer be from the spirit, and equally from the mind; let my song be from the spirit, and equally from mind. 16 For if you give a blessing with the spirit, how will the man who has no knowledge say, So be it, after your prayer, seeing that he has not taken in what you are saying? 17 For your giving of the blessing is certainly well done, but of no profit to the man without knowledge.
Names
Cross References
1 Chronicles 16:36
Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, for ever and for ever. And all the people said, So be it; and gave praise to the Lord.
Psalm 106:48
Praise be to the Lord God of Israel for ever and for ever; and let all the people say, So be it. Give praise to the Lord.
Revelation 5:14
And the four beasts said, So be it. And the rulers went down on their faces and gave worship.
Deuteronomy 27:15-26
Cursed is the man who makes any image of wood or stone or metal, disgusting to the Lord, the work of man's hands, and puts it up in secret. And let all the people say, So be it.
Jeremiah 28:6
The prophet Jeremiah said, So be it: may the Lord do so: may the Lord give effect to the words which you have said, and let the vessels of the Lord's house, and all the people who have been taken away, come back from Babylon to this place.
1 Corinthians 11:24
And when it had been broken with an act of praise, he said, This is my body which is for you: do this in memory of me.
Nehemiah 8:6
And Ezra gave praise to the Lord, the great God. And all the people in answer said, So be it, so be it; lifting up their hands; and with bent heads they gave worship to the Lord, going down on their faces to the earth.
Revelation 7:12
So be it. Let blessing and glory and wisdom and praise and honour and power and strength be given to our God for ever and ever. So be it.
Numbers 5:22
And this water of the curse will go into your body, causing disease of your stomach and wasting of your legs: and the woman will say, So be it.
1 Kings 1:36
And Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, answering the king, said, So be it: and may the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say so.
Nehemiah 5:13
And shaking out the folds of my robe, I said, So may God send out from his house and his work every man who does not keep this agreement; even so let him be sent out and made as nothing. And all the meeting of the people said, So be it, and gave praise to the Lord. And the people did as they had said.
Psalm 41:13
May the Lord God of Israel be praised, through eternal days and for ever. So be it. So be it.
Psalm 72:19
Praise to the glory of his noble name for ever; let all the earth be full of his glory. So be it, So be it.
Psalm 89:52
Let the Lord be praised for ever. So be it, So be it.
Isaiah 29:11-12
And the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a book which is shut, which men give to one who has knowledge of writing, saying, Make clear to us what is in the book: and he says, I am not able to, for the book is shut:
Jeremiah 11:5
So that I may give effect to the oath which I made to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey as at this day. And I said in answer, So be it, O Lord.
Matthew 6:13
And let us not be put to the test, but keep us safe from the Evil One.
Matthew 28:20
Teaching them to keep all the rules which I have given you: and see, I am ever with you, even to the end of the world.
Mark 16:20
And they went out, preaching everywhere, the Lord working with them, and giving witness to the word by the signs which came after. So be it.
John 7:15
Then the Jews were surprised and said, How has this man got knowledge of books? He has never been to school.
John 21:25
And Jesus did such a number of other things that, if every one was recorded, it is my opinion that even the world itself is not great enough for the books there would be.
Acts 4:13
Now when they saw that Peter and John were without fear, though they were men of no education or learning, they were greatly surprised; and they took note of them that they had been with Jesus.
1 Corinthians 1:4-8
I give praise to my God for you at all times, because of the grace of God which has been given to you in Christ Jesus;
1 Corinthians 14:2
For he who makes use of tongues is not talking to men but to God; because no one has the sense of what he is saying; but in the Spirit he is talking of secret things.
1 Corinthians 14:14
For if I make use of tongues in my prayers, my spirit makes the prayer, but not my mind.
1 Corinthians 14:23-24
If, then, the church has come together, and all are using tongues, and there come in men without knowledge or faith, will they not say that you are unbalanced?
1 Corinthians 16:24
My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. So be it.
Revelation 22:20
He who gives witness to these things says, Truly, I come quickly. Even so come, Lord Jesus.