1 Coríntios 14

¹ SEEK love earnestly, be eager for spiritual gifts, but most to prophesy.

² For he who speaks with a tongue speaks not to men, but to God. For no one understands, and he speaks mysteries in the Spirit.

³ But he who prophesies speaks to men what will build up, encourage, and comfort.

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

⁵ I wish you all to speak with tongues, but I wish more to have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless he interprets so that the church may receive upbuilding.

⁶ Now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what benefit will I be to you unless I speak to you in a revelation or in knowledge or in prophecy or in teaching.

⁷ Inanimate things that give a sound, such as the flute or harp, '97 unless they give a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is being played on flute or harp?

⁸ If the trumpet gives a dubious sound, who will prepare himself for battle?

⁹ And so you, if you do not give by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is said? For you will be talking into the air.

¹⁰ There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none without meaning.

¹¹ If then I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a barbarian to him who is speaking, and he will be a barbarian to me.

¹² And so you, since you are eager for spiritual gifts, seek to abound in what will build up the church.

¹³ Therefore let him who speaks with a tongue pray to interpret.

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

¹⁵ What then? I will pray with the spirit and with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit and with the understanding.

¹⁶ If you thank God with the spirit, how shall he who fills the place of the ordinary man say Amen to your thanksgiving? For he does not know what you are saying.

¹⁷ You give thanks excellently, but the other is not helped by it.

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

¹⁹ But in church I would rather speak five words with my understanding so as to instruct others, than to speak ten thousand words in a tongue.

²⁰ Brethren, be not children in intelligence, but be babes in wickedness. In intelligence be adults.

²¹ In the Law it is written, "By men of strange speech and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, and not even thus will they listen to me, says the Lord."

²² So then tongues are for a sign not to believers, but to unbelievers, and prophecy is not for unbelievers, but for believers.

²³ If therefore the whole church assembles and all speak with tongues and ordinary men or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are insane?

²⁴ But if all prophesy and any unbeliever or ordinary man comes in, he is convinced by all, he is judged by all,

²⁵ the secrets of his heart become manifest, and so falling on his face he worships God, declaring that God is really among you.

²⁶ What then, brethren? When you assemble each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for the upbuilding of character.

²⁷ If any one speaks with a tongue, let it be two, or at the most three, at a time and in turn and let one interpret.

²⁸ If there is no interpreter, let the man keep silent in church and let him speak to himself and to God.

²⁹ Of the prophets let two or three speak and let the others reflect.

³⁰ If a revelation comes to another who is sitting by, let the first become silent.

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

³² The spirits of the prophets are under the control of the prophets.

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

³⁴ let the women be silent in your assemblies. For it is not allowed to them to speak; but let them be in subjection as also the Law says.

³⁵ If they wish to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home. For it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in church.

³⁶ Did the message of God come out from you or did it come to you alone?

³⁷ If any one thinks himself a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that what I am writing to you is the command of the Lord.

³⁸ But if any one does not know, he is himself unknown.

³⁹ So then, my brethren, seek earnestly to prophesy and do not hinder speaking with tongues.

⁴⁰ Let all things be done becomingly and in order.