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.
Follow (then) after love, and be emulous of the gifts of the Spirit, but especially that you may prophesy.
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 whoever speaketh in a tongue speaketh not to men but to Aloha; for man heareth nothing that he speaketh but in the Spirit he speaketh mysteries.
3 But he who prophesies speaks to men words of edification, encouragement and comfort.
But he who prophesieth speaketh to men, edification and encouragement and consolation.
4 He who speaks in an unknown tongue does good to himself, but he who prophesies does good to the Church.
He who speaketh in a tongue himself edifieth, and he who prophesieth the church edifieth.
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.
But I would that all of you could speak with tongues, but especially that you could prophesy. For greater is he who prophesieth than he who speaketh with tongues, unless he interpret. But if he interpret, he edifieth the church.
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?
And now, my brethren, if I come to you and speak with you in tongues, what do I profit you, unless I speak with you, or by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophecy, or by doctrine?
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?
For those also which have no life in them, and give voice, whether pipe or harp, if distinction be not made between a tone and its fellow, how can it be known what is sung, or what is played?
8 If the bugle--to take another example--gives an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?
And if the trumpet call a voice which is not distinguished, who will prepare for the 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 you also, if you speak the word in a tongue, and there be no interpretation, how will it be known what you say? Will you not be as if speaking with the air?
10 There are, we will suppose, a great number of languages in the world, and no creature is without a language.
For, behold, there are many kinds of tongues in the world, and not one of them hath not signification;
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.
but if I do not know the power of the voice, I become as a barbarian to him who speaks, and he also who speaks is a barbarian to me.
12 Therefore, seeing that you are ambitious for spiritual gifts, seek to excel in them so as to benefit the Church.
So also you, while you are emulous of the gifts of the Spirit for the edification of the church, seek that you may excel.
13 Therefore let a man who has the gift of tongues pray for the power of interpreting them.
And let him who speaketh with tongues pray that he may interpret.
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 prayeth, but my mind is without fruit.
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 shall I do then? I will pray with my spirit, and I will pray with my mind; and I will sing with my spirit, and I will sing with my 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?
Otherwise, if thou bless with the spirit, how shall he who filleth the place of the unlearned say Amen to thy thanksgiving? for he knoweth not what thou sayest.
17 Rightly enough you are giving thanks, and yet your neighbor is not benefited.
For thou blessest well, but thy neighbour is not edified.
18 I speak in a tongue, thank God, more than all of you;
I praise Aloha that more than all of you I speak 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 the church I would rather speak five words with my mind, that others also may learn, than ten thousand 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.
MY brethren, be not children in your minds, but in evils be you babes, and in your minds be perfect.
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, In a strange language and in another tongue Will I speak with this people; Yet so will they not hear 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.
Hence, tongues are appointed for a sign, not to the believing, but to those who believe not: but prophecy, not for those who believe not, but for those who 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 all the church be assembled, and all of you speak with tongues, and the ignorant, or those who believe not enter, will they not say you are insane?
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,
And if all should prophesy, and there come in to you the ignorant, or of those who believe not, he is convicted by you all, and reproved by you all;
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 the secrets of his heart are revealed; and then will he fall upon his face and worship Aloha, and say, Truly Aloha is in 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.
I say then, my brethren, that when you are assembled, if any one of you hath a psalm, let him speak; and (so too) he who hath doctrine, and he who hath a revelation, and he who hath a tongue, and he who hath the interpretation: let all be done unto edification.
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;
And if with a tongue any one speak, two shall speak, or at most three, and each shall (separately) speak, and one interpret.
28 or if there is no interpreter, let the man with the gift be silent in the Church, speaking to himself and to God.
And if there be no one who interpreteth, let him who speaketh with a tongue be silent in the church, and between himself and Aloha let him speak.
29 But if there are Prophets, let two or three speak and let the rest judge.
Let the prophets speak, two or three, and let the rest discern.
30 And if anything is revealed to some one else who is seated there, let the first be silent.
And if to another be revealed while 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 you can all prophesy, that each may learn, and each be edified.
32 and the spirits of Prophets yield submission to Prophets.
For the spirit of the prophets to the prophets is subject.
33 For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace, as He is in all the Churches of His people.
Because Aloha is not of tumult, but of peace, as in all the churches 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;
LET your women in the church be silent; for it is not permitted to them to speak, but to be subject, as also saith the law.
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.
But if any wish to learn, in their houses let them ask their husbands; for it is a shame for a woman to speak in the church.
36 Was it from you that God's Message first went forth, or is it to you only that it has come?
Was it from you that the word of Aloha went forth? Or did it come only to you?
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.
But if any man of you think that he is a prophet, or that he is spiritual, let him acknowledge these which I write to you to be the commandments of our Lord.
38 But if any one is ignorant, let him be ignorant.
But if any man know not, let him not know.
39 The conclusion, my brethren, is this. Be earnestly ambitious to prophesy, and do not check speaking with tongues;
Be emulous, therefore, my brethren, to prophesy, and to speak with tongues forbid not;
40 only let everything be done in a becoming and orderly manner.
but let every thing be done with decency and in order.
