Parallel Verses

New American Standard Bible

Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp?

King James Version

And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

Holman Bible

Even inanimate things that produce sounds—whether flute or harp—if they don’t make a distinction in the notes, how will what is played on the flute or harp be recognized?

International Standard Version

In the same way, lifeless instruments like the flute or harp produce sounds. But if there's no difference in the notes, how can a person tell what tune is being played?

A Conservative Version

Likewise lifeless things that give a sound, whether flute or harp, if they give no distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is being piped or harped?

American Standard Version

Even things without life, giving a voice, whether pipe or harp, if they give not a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

Amplified

Yet even lifeless things, whether flute or harp, when producing a sound, if they do not produce distinct [musical] tones, how will anyone [listening] know what is piped or played?

An Understandable Version

[This is true] even of inanimate objects which make sounds, such as a flute or harp. If they do not make distinguishable sounds, how will anyone know what tune [or signal] is being played?

Anderson New Testament

And even lifeless instruments, which produce sound, whether pipe or harp, unless they give a distinction in the notes, how shall that which is piped or harped be known?

Bible in Basic English

Even things without life, having a voice, such as a music-pipe or other instrument, if they do not give out different sounds, who may be certain what is being played?

Common New Testament

If even lifeless things, such as the flute or the harp, do not give a distinction in the notes, how will any one know what is played?

Daniel Mace New Testament

And even inanimate instruments of sound, whether pipe or harp, except they have a distinct variety of notes, how can they express any significant tune?

Darby Translation

Even lifeless things giving a sound, whether pipe or harp, if they give not distinction to the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

Godbey New Testament

Nevertheless things without life, giving forth a voice, whether pipe or harp, if it may not give a distinction to the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped, or what is harped?

Goodspeed New Testament

Even inanimate things, like the flute or the harp, may produce sound, but if there is no difference in the notes, how can you tell what is being played?

John Wesley New Testament

So inanimate things which give a sound, whether pipe or harp, unless they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

Julia Smith Translation

As inanimate things giving a voice, whether pipe or harp, if it give not a distinction to sounds, how shall the piping or harping be known?

King James 2000

And even things without life which give sound, whether flute or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is played?

Lexham Expanded Bible

Likewise, the inanimate things which produce a sound, whether flute or lyre, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the lyre?

Modern King James verseion

Yet lifeless things giving a sound, whether flute or harp, if they do not give a distinction in the sound, how will it be known what is being piped or harped?

Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale

Moreover when things without life give sound: whether it be a pipe, or a harp - except they make a distinction in the sounds - how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

Moffatt New Testament

Inanimate instruments, such as the flute or the harp, may give a sound, but if no intervals occur in their music, how can one make out the air that is being played either on flute or on harp?

Montgomery New Testament

For if lifeless instruments such as the flute or the harp give no distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is fluted or harped?

NET Bible

It is similar for lifeless things that make a sound, like a flute or harp. Unless they make a distinction in the notes, how can what is played on the flute or harp be understood?

New Heart English Bible

Even things without life, giving a voice, whether pipe or harp, if they did not give a distinction in the sounds, how would it be known what is piped or harped?

Noyes New Testament

And even things without life that give sound, whether pipe or harp, if they make no distinction in the sounds, how shall that be known which is piped or harped?

Sawyer New Testament

So of irrational objects making a sound, whether a flute or harp; if it makes no distinction of sounds, how shall it be known what is played on the flute or harp?

The Emphasized Bible

In like manner, the things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, if, a distinction in the sounds, they do not give, how shall it be known, what is being piped or harped?

Thomas Haweis New Testament

In like manner things inanimate, giving sound, whether the pipe, or the harp, unless they express a distinction in their tones, how shall it be known what is piped, or what is harped?

Twentieth Century New Testament

Even with inanimate things, such as a flute or a harp, though they produce sounds, yet unless the notes are quite distinct, how can the tune played on the flute or the harp be recognized?

Webster

And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

Weymouth New Testament

Even inanimate things--flutes or harps, for instance--when yielding a sound, if they make no distinction in the notes, how shall the tune which is played on the flute or the harp be known?

Williams New Testament

Even inanimate things, like the flute or the harp, may give out sounds, but if there is no difference in the notes, how can the tune that is played on the flute or the harp be told?

World English Bible

Even things without life, giving a voice, whether pipe or harp, if they didn't give a distinction in the sounds, how would it be known what is piped or harped?

Worrell New Testament

Even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, if they give no distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

Worsley New Testament

As inanimate things which give a found, whether pipe or harp, unless they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall what is piped or harped be understood?

Youngs Literal Translation

yet the things without life giving sound -- whether pipe or harp -- if a difference in the sounds they may not give, how shall be known that which is piped or that which is harped?

Interlinear

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
And even
ὅμως 
Homos 
nevertheless, and even, though it be but
Usage: 3


which, who, the things, the son,
Usage: 0

ἄψυχος 
Apsuchos 
Usage: 1

δίδωμι 
Didomi 
Usage: 254

φωνή 
Phone 
Usage: 128

εἴτε 
Eite 
or, whether, or whether, if
Usage: 64

αὐλός 
Aulos 
Usage: 1

or
εἴτε 
Eite 
ἤ 
or, whether, or whether, if
or, than, either, or else, nor, not tr,
Usage: 64
Usage: 199

κιθάρα 
Kithara 
Usage: 4

ἐάν 
Ean 
Usage: 155

δίδωμι 
Didomi 
Usage: 254

διαστολή 
Diastole 
Usage: 3

in the sounds
φθόγγος 
Phthoggos 
Usage: 2

how
πῶς 
Pos 
Usage: 65

shall it be known
γινώσκω 
Ginosko 
Usage: 147


which, who, the things, the son,
Usage: 0

is piped
αὐλέω 
Auleo 
Usage: 1

References

Fausets

Hastings

Morish

Watsons

Context Readings

Appropriate Use Of Prophecy And Tongues

6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of prophecy or of teaching? 7 Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp? 8 For if the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle?


Cross References

Numbers 10:2-10

“Make yourself two trumpets of silver, of hammered work you shall make them; and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for having the camps set out.

Matthew 11:17

and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’

Luke 7:32

They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another, and they say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’

1 Corinthians 13:1

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

1 Corinthians 14:8

For if the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle?

King James Version Public Domain

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.

International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org

American Standard Version Public Domain

NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. NetBible

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain