1 Corinthians 14

¹Pursue love, and earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

²For the one speaking in a tongue does not speak to human beings but to God; for no one hears, but in the Spirit he speaks mysteries.

³But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their edification and encouragement and consolation.

⁴The one who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.

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

⁶But now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you, unless I speak to you either in revelation or in knowledge or in prophecy or in teaching?

⁷Yet even lifeless things giving sound, whether flute or harp, if they do not give distinction to the notes, how will what is being played on the flute or what is being played on the harp be known?

⁸And indeed, if the trumpet gives an indistinct sound, who will prepare for battle?

⁹So also you yourselves, through the tongue, unless you give intelligible speech, how will what is being spoken be known? For you will be speaking into the air.

¹⁰There are, it may be, so many kinds of sounds in the world, and none of them is without voice.

¹¹If then I do not know the meaning of the sound, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me.

¹²So also you yourselves, since you are zealous of spirits, seek to abound for the edification of the church.

¹³Therefore let the one speaking in a tongue pray that he may interpret.

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

¹⁵What then is it? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray also with the mind; I will sing praise with the spirit, and I will sing praise also with the mind.

¹⁶Otherwise, if you bless in the spirit, how will the one filling the place of the uninitiated say the Amen to your thanksgiving? For he does not know what you are saying.

¹⁷For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up.

¹⁸I thank God, I speak in tongues more than all of you;

¹⁹but in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind, that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

²⁰Brothers, do not be children in your thinking; rather, be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.

²¹In the law it has been written: By those of other tongues and by lips of others I will speak to this people, and even so they will not listen to me, says the Lord.

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

²³If therefore the whole church comes together in one place and all are speaking in tongues, and uninstructed people or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are mad?

²⁴But if all prophesy, and some unbeliever or uninitiated person enters, he is convicted by all, he is examined by all,

²⁵and thus the secrets of his heart become manifest; and so, having fallen on his face, he will worship God, declaring that God is truly among you.

²⁶What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.

²⁷If anyone speaks in a tongue, let it be by two, or at the most three, and in turn; and let one interpret.

²⁸But if there is no interpreter, let him be silent in the church; but let him speak to himself and to God.

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

³⁰But if a revelation is made to another sitting by, the first should be silent.

³¹For you are all able to prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be encouraged.

³²And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.

³³For God is not a God of disorder but of peace — as in all the churches of the saints.

³⁴The women are to be silent in the churches; for it is not permitted to them to speak, but let them be in submission, as even the law says.

³⁵But if they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for a woman to speak in the church.

³⁶Or did the word of God go out from you? Or to you only has it come?

³⁷If anyone considers himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things I write to you are a commandment of the Lord.

³⁸But if anyone is ignorant, he is ignored.

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

⁴⁰But let all things be done decently and in order.