1 Corinthians 14

1 Pursue love; nevertheless be envious of the spiritual gifts, —and, rather, that ye may be prophesying.

Pursue the love, and seek earnestly the spiritual things, and rather that ye may prophecy,

2 For, he that speaketh with a tongue, not unto men, doth speak, but, unto God, —for, no one, understandeth, although, in spirit, he is speaking sacred secrets;

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 But, be that prophesieth, unto men, doth speak—edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

and he who is prophesying to men doth speak edification, and exhortation, and comfort;

4 He that speaketh with a tongue, buildeth up, himself, whereas, he that prophesieth, buildeth up, an assembly.

he who is speaking in an [unknown] tongue, himself doth edify, and he who is prophesying, an assembly doth edify;

5 Howbeit I wish you all to speak with tongues, but, rather, that ye may prophesy, —moreover, greater, is he that prophesieth, than he that speaketh with tongues, —unless indeed he translate, that, the assembly, may receive upbuilding.

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 But, now, brethren—if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit, you, except I speak, unto you, either by way of revelation, or knowledge, or prophesying, or teaching?

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 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?

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, should give, who shall prepare himself for battle?

for if also an uncertain sound a trumpet may give, who shall prepare himself for battle?

9 So, also, ye, through means of the tongue, except ye give intelligible discourse, how shall it be known what is being spoken? for ye will be speaking, to the air.

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 may happen to be so many kinds of languages in the world, and, not one, unspoken: —

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 meaning of the language, I shall be, unto him that is speaking, a foreigner, and, he that is speaking, shall be, in my case, a foreigner.

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, ye, also—since ye are, envious, of spirits, unto the upbuilding of the assembly, seek to be pre-eminent.

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 that speaketh with a tongue, let him pray that he may translate;

wherefore he who is speaking in an [unknown] tongue — let him pray that he may interpret;

14 [For], if I am praying in a tongue, my spirit, is praying, but, my mind, is unfruitful.

for if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit doth pray, and my understanding is unfruitful.

15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray also with the mind, —I will strike the strings with the spirit, [but] I will strike the strings also with the mind.

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 Else, if thou be blessing in a spirit, he that filleth up the place of the ungifted person, how shall he say the Amen upon thy thanksgiving? since indeed, what thou art saying, he knoweth not;

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, excellently art giving thanks, but, the other, is not being built up.

for thou, indeed, dost give thanks well, but the other is not built up!

18 I give thanks unto God!—More than ye all, am I speaking with tongues;

I give thanks to my God — more than you all with tongues speaking —

19 But, in assembly, I desire to speak five words with my mind, that, others also, I may instruct, than myriads of words in a tongue.

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! do not become children, in your understandings; but, in baseness, become babes, while, in your understandings, ye become, full-grown.

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 is written—With strange tongues, and with lips of strangers, will I speak unto this people; and, not even so, will they hearken unto me, —saith the Lord.

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 unto them that believe, but, unto them that believe not; whereas, prophesying, is not for them that believe not, but, for them that believe.

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, then, the whole assembly come together with one consent, and, all, are speaking with tongues, —and there come in persons unskilled or unbelieving, will they not say that ye are raving?

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 But, if, all, be prophesying, —and there come in one who is unbelieving or unskilled, he is convicted by all, he is searched by all, the secrets of his heart, become manifest,

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, falling down upon his face, he will do homage unto God, reporting that, in reality, God is, among you.

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? Whensoever ye are coming together, each one, hath a psalm, hath a teaching, hath a revelation, hath a tongue, hath a translation: —let, all things, be done, unto building up.

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, with a tongue, one is speaking, let it be by two, or, at the most, three, —and by turns; and let, one, be translating;

if an [unknown] tongue any one do speak, by two, or at the most, by three, and in turn, and let one interpret;

28 But, if there be none to translate, let him keep silence in assembly, and, unto himself, be speaking, and, unto God!

and if there may be no interpreter, let him be silent in an assembly, and to himself let him speak, and to God.

29 Prophets, moreover, let two or three speak, and let, the others, judge.

And prophets — let two or three speak, and let the others discern,

30 If, however, unto another, a revelation be made, as he is sitting, let the first be silent;

and if to another sitting [anything] may be revealed, let the first be silent;

31 For, one by one, ye can, all, be prophesying, —that, all, may learn, and, all, be encouraged.

for ye are able, one by one, all to prophesy, that all may learn, and all may be exhorted,

32 And, spirits of prophets, unto prophets, do submit themselves;

and the spiritual gift of prophets to prophets are subject,

33 For God is not [a God] of confusion, but, of peace: —as in all the assemblies of the saints.

for God is not [a God] of tumult, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints.

34 As for the women, in the assemblies, let them be silent, for it is not permitted them to be speaking; but let them be in submission, —even as, the law, saith.

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 If, however, they are wishing to learn something, at home, their own husbands, let them question; for it is a shame for a woman to be speaking in assembly.

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 Or, from you, did the word of God come forth? Or, unto you alone, did it extend?

From you did the word of God come forth? or to you alone did it come?

37 If anyone thinketh himself to be a prophet, or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge the things which I am writing to you, —that they are, a commandment, of the Lord.

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 But, if anyone knoweth not, he is unknown!

and if any one is ignorant — let him be ignorant;

39 So, then, my brethren, —be zealous to prophesy, and do not forbid, to be speaking with tongues;

so that, brethren, earnestly desire to prophesy, and to speak with tongues do not forbid;

40 But let, all things, with comeliness, and by arrangement, be done.

let all things be done decently and in order.