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1 Corinthians 14:15–20

15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: yI will sing with the spirit, and I will sing zwith the understanding also. 16 Else when thou shalt abless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the bunlearned say cAmen at dthy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? 17 For thou verily givest dthanks well, but the other is not edified. 18 I thank my God, I cspeak with tongues more than ye all: 19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might eteach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. 20 Brethren, fbe not children in understanding: howbeit in malice gbe ye children, but in understanding be men.

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1 Corinthians 14:15–20 — The New International Version (NIV)

15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. 16 Otherwise when you are praising God in the Spirit, how can someone else, who is now put in the position of an inquirer, say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since they do not know what you are saying? 17 You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified.

18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.

20 Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.

1 Corinthians 14:15–20 — English Standard Version (ESV)

15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. 16 Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. 18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

20 Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.

1 Corinthians 14:15–20 — New Living Translation (NLT)

15 Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand. 16 For if you praise God only in the spirit, how can those who don’t understand you praise God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don’t understand what you are saying? 17 You will be giving thanks very well, but it won’t strengthen the people who hear you.

18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you. 19 But in a church meeting I would rather speak five understandable words to help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language.

20 Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind.

1 Corinthians 14:15–20 — The New King James Version (NKJV)

15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? 17 For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.

18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

20 Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.

1 Corinthians 14:15–20 — New Century Version (NCV)

15 So what should I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. 16 If you praise God with your spirit, those persons there without understanding cannot say amen to your prayer of thanks, because they do not know what you are saying. 17 You may be thanking God in a good way, but the other person is not helped.

18 I thank God that I speak in different kinds of languages more than all of you. 19 But in the church meetings I would rather speak five words I understand in order to teach others than thousands of words in a different language.

20 Brothers and sisters, do not think like children. In evil things be like babies, but in your thinking you should be like adults.

1 Corinthians 14:15–20 — American Standard Version (ASV)

15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. 16 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? 17 For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. 18 I thank God, I speak with tongues more than you all: 19 howbeit in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

20 Brethren, be not children in mind: yet in malice be ye babes, but in mind be men.

1 Corinthians 14:15–20 — 1890 Darby Bible (DARBY)

15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray also with the understanding; I will sing with the spirit, but I will sing also with the understanding. 16 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? 17 For thou indeed givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. 18 I thank God I speak in a tongue more than all of you: 19 but in the assembly I desire to speak five words with my understanding, that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue. 20 Brethren, be not children in your minds, but in malice be babes; but in your minds be grown men.

1 Corinthians 14:15–20 — GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

15 So what does this mean? It means that I will pray with my spirit, and I will pray with my mind. I will sing psalms with my spirit, and I will sing psalms with my mind. 16 Otherwise, if you praise God only with your spirit, how can outsiders say “Amen!” to your prayer of thanksgiving? They don’t know what you’re saying. 17 Your prayer of thanksgiving may be very good, but it doesn’t help other people grow. 18 I thank God that I speak in other languages more than any of you. 19 Yet, in order to teach others in church, I would rather say five words that can be understood than ten thousand words in another language. 

20 Brothers and sisters, don’t think like children. When it comes to evil, be like babies, but think like mature people.

1 Corinthians 14:15–20 — The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

15 What then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with my understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with my understanding. 16 Otherwise, if you praise with the spirit, how will the uninformed person say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may very well be giving thanks, but the other person is not being built up. 18 I thank God that I speak in other languages more than all of you; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, in order to teach others also, than 10,000 words in another language.

20 Brothers, don’t be childish in your thinking, but be infants in regard to evil and adult in your thinking.

1 Corinthians 14:15–20 — The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

15 What should I do then? I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray with the mind also; I will sing praise with the spirit, but I will sing praise with the mind also. 16 Otherwise, if you say a blessing with the spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say the “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since the outsider does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may give thanks well enough, but the other person is not built up. 18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you; 19 nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind, in order to instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

20 Brothers and sisters, do not be children in your thinking; rather, be infants in evil, but in thinking be adults.

1 Corinthians 14:15–20 — The Lexham English Bible (LEB)

15 Therefore what should I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will also sing praise with my mind. 16 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? 17 For indeed you are giving thanks well, but the other person is not edified. 18 I give thanks to God that I speak with tongues more than all of you, 19 but in the church I prefer to speak five words with my mind, in order that I may instruct other people, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

20 Brothers, do not become children in your understanding, but with respect to wickedness be as a child, and in your understanding be mature.

1 Corinthians 14:15–20 — New International Reader’s Version (1998) (NIrV)

15 So what should I do? I will pray with my spirit. But I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my spirit. But I will also sing with my mind.

16 Suppose you are praising God with your spirit. And suppose there are visitors among you who don’t understand what’s going on. How can they say “Amen” when you give thanks? They don’t know what you are saying. 17 You might be giving thanks well enough. But the others are not being built up.

18 I thank God that I speak in other languages more than all of you do. 19 But in the church I would rather speak five words that people can understand than 10,000 words in another language. Then I would be teaching others.

20 Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. Be like babies as far as evil is concerned. But be grown up in your thinking.

1 Corinthians 14:15–20 — New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (NASB95)

15 What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.

16 Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying?

17 For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not edified.

18 I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all;

19 however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

20 Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.


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