1 Corinthians 14
1 Be eager in your pursuit of this Love, and be earnestly ambitious for spiritual gifts, but let it be chiefly so in order that you may prophesy.
Pursue love; nevertheless be envious of the spiritual gifts, —and, rather, that ye may be prophesying.
2 For he who speaks in an unknown tongue is not speaking to men, but to God; for no one understands him. Yet in the Spirit he is speaking secret truths.
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;
3 But he who prophesies speaks to men words of edification, encouragement and comfort.
But, be that prophesieth, unto men, doth speak—edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
4 He who speaks in an unknown tongue does good to himself, but he who prophesies does good to the Church.
He that speaketh with a tongue, buildeth up, himself, whereas, he that prophesieth, buildeth up, an assembly.
5 I should be right glad were you all to speak in 'tongues,' but yet more glad were you all to prophesy. And, in fact, the man who prophesies is superior to him who speaks in 'tongues,' except when the latter can interpret in order that the Church may get a blessing.
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.
6 But, brethren, as things are, if I come to you speaking in 'tongues,' what benefit shall I confer on you, if the utterance is neither in the form of a revelation nor of additional knowledge nor of prophecy nor of teaching?
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?
7 Even inanimate things--flutes or harps, for instance--when yielding a sound, if they make no distinction in the notes, how shall the tune which is played on the flute or the harp be known?
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?
8 If the bugle--to take another example--gives an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?
For, if also, an uncertain sound, a trumpet, should give, who shall prepare himself for battle?
9 And so with you; if with the living voice you fail to utter intelligible words, how will people know what you are saying? You will be talking to the winds.
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.
10 There are, we will suppose, a great number of languages in the world, and no creature is without a language.
There may happen to be so many kinds of languages in the world, and, not one, unspoken: —
11 If, however, I do not know the meaning of the particular language, I shall seem to the speaker of it, and he to me, to be merely talking some foreign tongue.
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.
12 Therefore, seeing that you are ambitious for spiritual gifts, seek to excel in them so as to benefit the Church.
So, ye, also—since ye are, envious, of spirits, unto the upbuilding of the assembly, seek to be pre-eminent.
13 Therefore let a man who has the gift of tongues pray for the power of interpreting them.
Wherefore, he that speaketh with a tongue, let him pray that he may translate;
14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is barren.
[For], if I am praying in a tongue, my spirit, is praying, but, my mind, is unfruitful.
15 How then does the matter stand? I will pray in spirit, and I will pray with my understanding also. I will praise God in spirit, and I will praise Him with my understanding also.
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.
16 Otherwise, if you bless God in spirit only, how shall he who is in the position of an ungifted man say the 'Amen' to your giving of thanks, when he does not know what your words mean?
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;
17 Rightly enough you are giving thanks, and yet your neighbor is not benefited.
For, thou, indeed, excellently art giving thanks, but, the other, is not being built up.
18 I speak in a tongue, thank God, more than all of you;
I give thanks unto God!—More than ye all, am I speaking with tongues;
19 but in the Church I would rather speak five words with my understanding--so as to instruct others also--than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
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.
20 Brethren, do not prove yourselves to be children in your minds. As regards evil, indeed, be utter babes, but as regards your minds prove yourselves to be men of ripe years.
Brethren! do not become children, in your understandings; but, in baseness, become babes, while, in your understandings, ye become, full-grown.
21 In the Law it stands written, "'By men of unknown tongues and by the lips of an unknown nation will I speak to this People, but even then they will not listen to Me', says the Lord."
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.
22 This shows that the gift of tongues is intended as a sign not to those who believe but to unbelievers, but prophecy is intended not for unbelievers but for those who believe.
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.
23 Accordingly if the whole Church has assembled and all are speaking in 'tongues,' and there come in ungifted men, or unbelievers, will they not say that you are all mad?
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?
24 If, on the other hand, every one is prophesying and an unbeliever or an ungifted man comes in, he is convicted by all and closely examined by all,
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,
25 and the hidden evils of his heart are brought to light. And, as the result, he will fall on his face and worship God, and will report to others that of a truth God is among you.
And, so, falling down upon his face, he will do homage unto God, reporting that, in reality, God is, among you.
26 What then, brethren? Whenever you assemble, there is not one of you who is not ready either with a song of praise, a sermon, a revelation, a 'tongue,' or an interpretation. Let everything be done with a view to the building up of faith and character.
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.
27 If there is speaking in an unknown tongue, only two or at the most three should speak, and they should do so one at a time, and one should interpret;
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;
28 or if there is no interpreter, let the man with the gift be silent in the Church, speaking to himself and to God.
But, if there be none to translate, let him keep silence in assembly, and, unto himself, be speaking, and, unto God!
29 But if there are Prophets, let two or three speak and let the rest judge.
Prophets, moreover, let two or three speak, and let, the others, judge.
30 And if anything is revealed to some one else who is seated there, let the first be silent.
If, however, unto another, a revelation be made, as he is sitting, let the first be silent;
31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged:
For, one by one, ye can, all, be prophesying, —that, all, may learn, and, all, be encouraged.
32 and the spirits of Prophets yield submission to Prophets.
And, spirits of prophets, unto prophets, do submit themselves;
33 For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace, as He is in all the Churches of His people.
For God is not [a God] of confusion, but, of peace: —as in all the assemblies of the saints.
34 Let married women be silent in the Churches, for they are not permitted to speak. They must be content with a subordinate place, as the Law also says;
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.
35 and if they wish to ask questions, they should ask their own husbands at home. For it is disgraceful for a married woman to speak at a Church assembly.
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.
36 Was it from you that God's Message first went forth, or is it to you only that it has come?
Or, from you, did the word of God come forth? Or, unto you alone, did it extend?
37 If any one deems himself to be a Prophet or a man with spiritual gifts, let him recognize as the Lord's command all that I am now writing to you.
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.
38 But if any one is ignorant, let him be ignorant.
But, if anyone knoweth not, he is unknown!
39 The conclusion, my brethren, is this. Be earnestly ambitious to prophesy, and do not check speaking with tongues;
So, then, my brethren, —be zealous to prophesy, and do not forbid, to be speaking with tongues;
40 only let everything be done in a becoming and orderly manner.
But let, all things, with comeliness, and by arrangement, be done.
