1 Corinthians, 14

1. Make love your aim; but be eager, too, for spiritual gifts, and especially for prophesying.

1. Make love your aim, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

2. Those who speak in a tongue speak to God, but not to other people, because nobody understands them; they are speaking in the Spirit and the meaning is hidden.

2. For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.

3. On the other hand, someone who prophesies speaks to other people, building them up and giving them encouragement and reassurance.

3. On the other hand, he who prophesies speaks to men for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.

4. Those who speak in a tongue may build themselves up, but those who prophesy build up the community.

4. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.

5. While I should like you all to speak in tongues, I would much rather you could prophesy; since those who prophesy are of greater importance than those who speak in tongues, unless they can interpret what they say so that the church is built up by it.

5. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than he who speaks in tongues, unless some one interprets, so that the church may be edified.

6. Now suppose, brothers, I come to you and speak in tongues, what good shall I do you if my speaking provides no revelation or knowledge or prophecy or instruction?

6. Now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how shall I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?

7. It is the same with an inanimate musical instrument. If it does not make any distinction between notes, how can one recognise what is being played on flute or lyre?

7. If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will any one know what is played?

8. If the trumpet sounds a call which is unrecognisable, who is going to get ready for the attack?

8. And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle?

9. It is the same with you: if you do not use your tongue to produce speech that can be readily understood, how can anyone know what you are saying? You will be talking to the air.

9. So with yourselves; if you in a tongue utter speech that is not intelligible, how will any one know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air.

10. However many the languages used in the world, all of them use sound;

10. There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning;

11. but if I do not understand the meaning of the sound, I am a barbarian to the person who is speaking, and the speaker is a barbarian to me.

11. but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me.

12. So with you, as you are eager to have spiritual powers, aim to be rich in those which build up the community.

12. So with yourselves; since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.

13. That is why anybody who speaks in a tongue must pray that he may be given the interpretation.

13. Therefore, he who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to interpret.

14. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit may be praying but my mind derives no fruit from it.

14. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful.

15. What then? I shall pray with the spirit, but I shall pray with the mind as well: I shall sing praises with the spirit and I shall sing praises with the mind as well.

15. What am I to do? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.

16. Otherwise, if you say your blessing only with the spirit, how is the uninitiated person going to answer 'Amen' to your thanksgiving, without understanding what you are saying?

16. Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how can any one in the position of an outsider say the "Amen" to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying?

17. You may be making your thanksgiving well, but the other person is not built up at all.

17. For you may give thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified.

18. I thank God that I speak with tongues more than any of you;

18. I thank God that I speak in tongues more than you all;

19. all the same, when I am in the assembly I would rather say five words with my mind, to instruct others as well, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

19. nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind, in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

20. Brothers, do not remain children in your thinking; infants in wickedness-agreed, but in your thinking grown-ups.

20. Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; be babes in evil, but in thinking be mature.

21. It says in the written Law: In strange tongues and in a foreign language I will talk to this nation, and even so they will refuse to listen, says the Lord.

21. In the law it is written, "By men of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord."

22. So then, strange languages are significant not for believers, but for unbelievers; whereas on the other hand, prophesying is not for unbelievers, but for believers.

22. Thus, tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is not for unbelievers but for believers.

23. Suppose that, if the whole congregation were meeting and all of them speaking in tongues, and some uninitiated people or unbelievers were to come in, don't you think they would say that you were all raving?

23. If, therefore, the whole church assembles and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad?

24. But if you were all prophesying when an unbeliever or someone uninitiated came in, he would find himself put to the test by all and judged by all

24. But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all,

25. and the secrets of his heart revealed; and so he would fall down on his face and worship God, declaring that God is indeed among you.

25. the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.

26. Then what should it be like, brothers? When you come together each of you brings a psalm or some instruction or a revelation, or speaks in a tongue or gives an interpretation. Let all these things be done in a way that will build up the community.

26. What then, brethren? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.

27. If there are to be any people speaking in a tongue, then let there be only two, or at the most three, and those one at a time, and let one of these interpret.

27. If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn; and let one interpret.

28. If there is no interpreter, then let each of them be quiet in the assembly, and speak only to himself and God.

28. But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silence in church and speak to himself and to God.

29. Let two prophets, or three, speak while the rest weigh their words;

29. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.

30. and if a revelation comes to someone else who is sitting by, the speaker should stop speaking.

30. If a revelation is made to another sitting by, let the first be silent.

31. You can all prophesy, but one at a time, then all will learn something and all receive encouragement.

31. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged;

32. The prophetic spirit is to be under the prophets' control,

32. and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.

33. for God is a God not of disorder but of peace. As in all the churches of God's holy people,

33. For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,

34. women are to remain quiet in the assemblies, since they have no permission to speak: theirs is a subordinate part, as the Law itself says.

34. the women should keep silence in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate, as even the law says.

35. If there is anything they want to know, they should ask their husbands at home: it is shameful for a woman to speak in the assembly.

35. If there is anything they desire to know, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.

36. Do you really think that you are the source of the word of God? Or that you are the only people to whom it has come?

36. What! Did the word of God originate with you, or are you the only ones it has reached?

37. Anyone who claims to be a prophet, or to have any spiritual powers must recognise that what I am writing to you is a commandment from the Lord.

37. If any one thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that what I am writing to you is a command of the Lord.

38. If anyone does not recognise this, it is because that person is not recognised himself.

38. If any one does not recognize this, he is not recognized.

39. So, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not suppress the gift of speaking in tongues.

39. So, my brethren, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues;

40. But make sure that everything is done in a proper and orderly fashion.

40. but all things should be done decently and in order.