1 Corinthians 14
1 Earnestly pursue love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.
Sue ye charite, loue ye spiritual thingis, but more that ye prophecien.
2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries in the Spirit.
And he that spekith in tunge, spekith not to men, but to God; for no man herith. But the spirit spekith mysteries.
3 But he who prophesies speaks to men for their edification, encouragement, and comfort.
For he that prophecieth, spekith to men to edificacioun, and monestyng, and coumfortyng.
4 The one who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.
He that spekith in tunge, edifieth hym silf; but he that prophecieth, edifieth the chirche of God.
5 I wish that all of you could speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets so that the church may be edified.
And Y wole, that alle ye speke in tungis, but more that ye prophecie. For he that prophecieth, is more than he that spekith in langagis; but perauenture he expoune, that the chirche take edificacioun.
6 Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?
But now, britheren, if Y come to you, and speke in langagis, what schal Y profite to you, but if Y speke to you ethir in reuelacioun, ethir in science, ethir in prophecie, ether in techyng?
7 Even in the case of lifeless instruments, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone recognize the tune they are playing unless the notes are distinct?
For tho thingis that ben withouten soule, and yyueth voices, ethir pipe, ether harpe, but tho yyuen distinccioun of sownyngis, hou schal it be knowun that is sungun, ether that that is trumpid?
8 Again, if the trumpet sounds a muffled call, who will prepare for battle?
For if a trumpe yyue an vncerteyn soune, who schal make hym silf redi to batel?
9 So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air.
So but ye yyuen an opyn word bi tunge, hou schal that that is seid be knowun? For ye schulen be spekynge in veyn.
10 Assuredly, there are many different languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning.
There ben many kyndis of langagis in this world, and no thing is with outen vois.
11 If, then, I do not know the meaning of someone’s language, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me.
But if Y knowe not the vertu of a vois, Y schal be to hym, to whom Y schal speke, a barbarik; and he that spekith to me, schal be a barbarik.
12 It is the same with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, strive to excel in gifts that build up the church.
So ye, for ye ben loueris of spiritis, seke ye that ye be plenteuouse to edificacioun of the chirche.
13 Therefore, the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret.
And therfor he that spekith in langage, preie, that he expowne.
14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.
For if Y preye in tunge, my spirit preieth; myn vndurstondyng is with outen fruyt.
15 What then shall 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.
What thanne? Y schal preye in spirit, Y schal preye in mynde; Y schal seie salm, in spirit, Y schal seie salm also in mynde.
16 Otherwise, if you speak a blessing in spirit, how can someone who is uninstructed say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?
For if thou blessist in spirit, who fillith the place of an ydiot, hou schal he seie Amen on thi blessyng, for he woot not, what thou seist?
17 You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other one is not edified.
For thou doist wel thankyngis, but an othir man is not edefied.
18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.
Y thanke my God, for Y speke in the langage of alle you;
19 But in the church, I would rather speak five coherent words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.
but in the chirche Y wole speke fyue wordis in my wit, that also Y teche othere men, than ten thousynde of wordis in tunge.
20 Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.
Britheren, nyle ye be maad children in wittis, but in malice be ye children; but in wittis be ye parfit.
21 It is written in the Law: “By strange tongues and foreign lips I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to Me, says the Lord.”
For in the lawe it is writun, That in othere tungis and othere lippis Y schal speke to this puple, and nether so thei schulen here me, seith the Lord.
22 Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers.
Therfor langagis ben in to tokene, not to feithful men, but to men out of the feith; but prophecies ben not to men out of the feith, but to feithful men.
23 So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who are uninstructed or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your minds?
Therfor if alle the chirche come togidere in to oon, and alle men speken in tungis, if idiotis, ether men out of the feith, entren, whether thei schulen not seie, What ben ye woode?
24 But if an unbeliever or uninstructed person comes in while everyone is prophesying, he will be convicted and called to account by all,
But if alle men prophecien, if ony vnfeithful man or idiot entre, he is conuyct of alle, he is wiseli demyd of alle.
25 and the secrets of his heart will be made known. So he will fall facedown and worship God, proclaiming, “God is truly among you!”
For the hid thingis of his herte ben knowun, and so he schal falle doun on the face, and schal worschipe God, and schewe verili that God is in you.
26 What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a psalm or a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All of these must be done to build up the church.
What thanne, britheren? Whanne ye comen togidere, ech of you hath a salm, he hath techyng, he hath apocalips, he hath tunge, he hath expownyng; alle thingis be thei don to edificacioun.
27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, two, or at most three, should speak in turn, and someone must interpret.
Whether a man spekith in tunge, bi twei men, ethir thre at the moste, and bi partis, that oon interprete.
28 But if there is no interpreter, he should remain silent in the church and speak only to himself and God.
But if there be not an interpretour, be he stille in the chirche, and speke he to hym silf and to God.
29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.
Prophetis tweine or thre seie, and othere wiseli deme.
30 And if a revelation comes to someone who is seated, the first speaker should stop.
But if ony thing be schewid to a sittere, the formere be stille.
31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.
For ye moun `prophecie alle, ech bi hym silf, that alle men lerne, and alle moneste.
32 The spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.
And the spiritis of prophetis ben suget to prophetis;
33 For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace—as in all the churches of the saints.
for whi God is not of discencioun, but of pees; as in alle chirchis of hooli men `Y teche.
34 Women are to be silent in the churches. They are not permitted to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says.
Wymmen in chirchis be stille; for it is not suffrid to hem to speke, but to be suget, as the lawe seith.
35 If they wish to inquire about something, they are to ask their own husbands at home; for it is dishonorable for a woman to speak in the church.
But if thei wolen ony thing lerne, `at home axe thei her hosebondis; for it is foule thing to a womman to speke in chirche.
36 Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only ones it has reached?
Whether `of you the word of God cam forth, or to you aloone it cam?
37 If anyone considers himself a prophet or spiritual person, let him acknowledge that what I am writing you is the Lord’s command.
If ony man is seyn to be a prophete, or spiritual, knowe he tho thingis that Y write to you, for tho ben the comaundementis of the Lord.
38 But if anyone ignores this, he himself will be ignored.
And if ony man vnknowith, he schal be vnknowun.
39 So, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.
`Therfor, britheren, loue ye to prophecie, and nyle ye forbede to speke in tungis.
40 But everything must be done in a proper and orderly manner.
But be alle thingis don onestli, and bi due ordre in you.
