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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

1 Corinthians 14:17

You may be worshiping God in a wonderful way, but no one else will be helped.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Interpretation;   Language;   Preaching;   Tongues (the Gift);   Worship;   The Topic Concordance - Prophecy and Prophets;   Tongues;   Understanding;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Worship;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Worship of God;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Tongues, Gift of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Thanksgiving;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Corinthians, First Epistle to the;   Ethics;   Spiritual Gifts;   Tongues, Gift of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Edification;   Tongues Gift of;   Voice;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Edification;   Tongues, Gift of;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Synagogue;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Builder;   Praise;   Teach;   Tongues, Gift of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
For you may very well be giving thanks, but the other person is not being built up.
King James Version (1611)
For thou verily giuest thankes well: but the other is not edified.
King James Version
For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
English Standard Version
For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up.
New American Standard Bible
For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not edified.
New Century Version
You may be thanking God in a good way, but the other person is not helped.
Amplified Bible
You are giving thanks well enough [in a way that God is glorified], but the other person [who does not understand you] is not edified [and spiritually strengthened since he cannot join in your thanksgiving].
New American Standard Bible (1995)
For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not edified.
Legacy Standard Bible
For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not edified.
Berean Standard Bible
You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other one is not edified.
Complete Jewish Bible
For undoubtedly you are giving thanks very nicely, but the other person is not being edified.
Darby Translation
For *thou* indeed givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
Easy-to-Read Version
You may be thanking God in a good way, but others are not helped.
Geneva Bible (1587)
For thou verely giuest thankes well, but the other is not edified.
George Lamsa Translation
For indeed you bless well, but your fellow man is not enlightened.
Good News Translation
Even if your prayer of thanks to God is quite good, other people are not helped at all.
Lexham English Bible
For indeed you are giving thanks well, but the other person is not edified.
Literal Translation
For you truly give thanks well, but the other is not built up.
American Standard Version
For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
Bible in Basic English
For your giving of the blessing is certainly well done, but of no profit to the man without knowledge.
Hebrew Names Version
For you most assuredly give thanks well, but the other person is not built up.
International Standard Version
It's good for you to give thanks, but it does not build up the other person.
Etheridge Translation
For thou blessest well, but thy neighbour is not edified.
Murdock Translation
Thou blessest, indeed, very well; but thy neighbor is not edified.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thou veryly geuest thankes well: but the other is not edified.
English Revised Version
For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
World English Bible
For you most assuredly give thanks well, but the other person is not built up.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For thou verily givest thanks well; yet the other is not edified.
Weymouth's New Testament
Rightly enough you are giving thanks, and yet your neighbor is not benefited.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For thou doist wel thankyngis, but an othir man is not edefied.
Update Bible Version
For you truly give thanks well, but the other is not edified.
Webster's Bible Translation
For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
New English Translation
For you are certainly giving thanks well, but the other person is not strengthened.
New King James Version
For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.
New Living Translation
You will be giving thanks very well, but it won't strengthen the people who hear you.
New Life Bible
You are honoring and giving thanks to God, but it is not helping other people.
New Revised Standard
For you may give thanks well enough, but the other person is not built up.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, thou, indeed, excellently art giving thanks, but, the other, is not being built up.
Douay-Rheims Bible
For thou indeed givest thanks well: but the other is not edified.
Revised Standard Version
For you may give thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Thou verely gevest thankes well but the other is not edyfied.
Young's Literal Translation
for thou, indeed, dost give thanks well, but the other is not built up!
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thou geuest well thankes, but the other is not edifyed.
Mace New Testament (1729)
thy thanksgiving indeed is right, but the other is not all edified by it.
Simplified Cowboy Version
You might be saying a thousand thanks to God, but not a single person will understand it. If they don't understand it, they ain't helped by your words.

Contextual Overview

15 Then what should I do? There are times when I should pray with my spirit, and times when I should pray with my mind. Sometimes I should sing with my spirit, and at other times I should sing with my mind. 16 Suppose some strangers are in your worship service, when you are praising God with your spirit. If they don't understand you, how will they know to say, "Amen"? 17 You may be worshiping God in a wonderful way, but no one else will be helped. 18 I thank God that I speak unknown languages more than any of you. 19 But words that make sense can help the church. That's why in church I had rather speak five words that make sense than to speak ten thousand words in a language that others don't know. 20 My friends, stop thinking like children. Think like mature people and be as innocent as tiny babies.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

but: 1 Corinthians 14:4, 1 Corinthians 14:6

Reciprocal: 1 Corinthians 10:23 - edify 1 Corinthians 12:7 - General

Cross-References

Judges 11:34
When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, the first one to meet him was his daughter. She was playing a tambourine and dancing to celebrate his victory, and she was his only child.
1 Samuel 18:6
David had killed Goliath, the battle was over, and the Israelite army set out for home. As the army went along, women came out of each Israelite town to welcome King Saul. They were singing happy songs and dancing to the music of tambourines and harps.
2 Samuel 18:18
When Absalom was alive, he had set up a stone monument for himself in King's Valley. He explained, "I don't have any sons to keep my name alive." He called it Absalom's Monument, and that is the name it still has today.
Proverbs 14:20
You have no friends if you are poor, but you have lots of friends if you are rich.
Proverbs 19:4
The rich have many friends; the poor have none.
Hebrews 7:1
Melchizedek was both king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He was the one who went out and gave Abraham his blessing, when Abraham returned from killing the kings.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For thou verily givest thanks well,.... In very proper words, and pertinent expressions, with great affection and devotion, suitable to the service;

but the other is not edified; the rest of the people, who do not understand the language in which thanks are given; "thy friend", as the Syriac version reads it; or thy next neighbour, he that stands by thee, receives no manner of profit by it, because he does not understand what is said.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For thou verily givest thanks well - That is, even if you use a foreign language. You do it with the heart; and it is accepted by God as your offering; but the other, who cannot understand it, cannot be benefited by it.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 17. Thou verily givest thanks well — Because he felt gratitude, and, from a sense of his obligation, gave praise to God; but because this was in an unknown tongue, those who heard him received no edification.


 
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