1. Corinthians 14
1
Pursue the love, and seek earnestly the spiritual things, and rather that ye
may prophecy, 2 for he who is speaking in an [unknown] tongue--to men he doth
not speak, but to God, for no one doth hearken, and in spirit he doth speak
secrets; 3 and he who is prophesying to men doth speak edification, and
exhortation, and comfort; 4 he who is speaking in an [unknown] tongue, himself
doth edify, and he who is prophesying, an assembly doth edify; 5 and I wish you
all to speak with tongues, and more that ye may prophecy, for greater is he who
is prophesying than he who is speaking with tongues, except one may interpret,
that the assembly may receive edification. 6 And now, brethren, if I may come
unto you speaking tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you
either in revelation, or in knowledge, or in prophesying, or in teaching? 7 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? 8 for if also an uncertain sound a trumpet may give, who shall
prepare himself for battle? 9 so also ye, if through the tongue, speech easily
understood ye may not give--how shall that which is spoken be known? for ye
shall be speaking to air. 10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in
the world, and none of them is unmeaning, 11 if, then, I do not know the power
of the voice, I shall be to him who is speaking a foreigner, and he who is
speaking, is to me a foreigner; 12 so also ye, since ye are earnestly desirous
of spiritual gifts, for the building up of the assembly seek that ye may
abound; 13 wherefore he who is speaking in an [unknown] tongue--let him pray
that he may interpret; 14 for if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit doth
pray, and my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What then is it? I will pray with
the spirit, and I will pray also with the understanding; I will sing psalms
with the spirit, and I will sing psalms also with the understanding; 16 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? 17 for thou, indeed, dost
give thanks well, but the other is not built up! 18 I give thanks to my
God--more than you all with tongues speaking--19 but in an assembly I wish to
speak five words through my understanding, that others also I may instruct,
rather than myriads of words in an [unknown] tongue. 20 Brethren, become not
children in the understanding, but in the evil be ye babes, and in the
understanding become ye perfect; 21 in the law it hath been written, that,
`With other tongues and with other lips I will speak to this people, and not
even so will they hear Me, saith the Lord;' 22 so
that the tongues are for a sign, not to the believing, but to the unbelieving;
and the prophesy [is] not for the unbelieving, but for the believing, 23 If,
therefore, the whole assembly may come together, to the same place, and all may
speak with tongues, and there may come in unlearned or unbelievers, will they
not say that ye are mad? 24 and if all may prophecy, and any one may come in,
an unbeliever or unlearned, he is convicted by all, he is discerned by all, 25
and so the secrets of his heart become manifest, and so having fallen upon
[his] face, he will bow before God, declaring that God really is among you. 26
What then is it, brethren? whenever ye may come together, each of you hath a
psalm, hath a teaching, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an
interpretation? let all things be for building up; 27 if an [unknown] tongue
any one do speak, by two, or at the most, by three, and in turn, and let one
interpret; 28 and if there may be no interpreter, let him be silent in an
assembly, and to himself let him speak, and to God. 29 And prophets--let two or
three speak, and let the others discern, 30 and if to another sitting
[anything] may be revealed, let the first be silent; 31 for ye are able, one by
one, all to prophesy, that all may learn, and all may be exhorted, 32 and the
spiritual gift of prophets to prophets are subject, 33 for God is not [a God]
of tumult, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints. 34 Your women
in the assemblies let them be silent, for it hath not been permitted to them to
speak, but to be subject, as also the law saith; 35
and if they wish to learn anything, at home their own husbands let them
question, for it is a shame to women to speak in an assembly. 36 From you did
the word of God come forth? or to you alone did it come? 37 if any one doth
think to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge the things that I
write to you--that of the Lord they are commands; 38 and if any
one is ignorant--let him be ignorant; 39 so that, brethren, earnestly
desire to prophesy, and to speak with tongues do not forbid; 40 let all things
be done decently and in order.