¹Earnestly pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy.

²For the one speaking in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one hears, but in the Spirit he utters mysteries;

³but the one prophesying speaks to men for edification and encouragement and consolation.

⁴The one who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but the one prophesying edifies the assembly.

⁵Now I desire you all to speak in tongues, but rather that you may prophesy; now greater is the one who prophesies than the one who speaks in tongues, except unless he shall interpret, so that the assembly may receive edification.

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

⁷Even the lifeless things giving a sound, whether flute or harp, if they shall not give distinction to the sounds, how will it be known what is being piped or what is being harped?

⁸Also, for if the trumpet shall give an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle?

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

¹⁰So many kinds of languages, if it would be, there are in the world, and none of their meaning without;

¹¹therefore if I shall not know the power of the sound, I will be a foreigner to the one who speaks, and the one who speaks a foreigner to me;

¹²so also you yourselves, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek for the edification of the assembly that you may exceed.

¹³For the one who speaks in a tongue, he should pray that he may interpret.

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

¹⁵Then what is it? I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray also with the mind; I will sing praise with the spirit, but I will sing praise also with the mind.

¹⁶Otherwise, if you shall bless in the spirit, how will the one who fills the place of the uninstructed say the Amen at your thanksgiving, since he knows not what you say?

¹⁷For you yourself truly are giving thanks well, but the other is not edified.

¹⁸I thank my God, speaking in tongues more than you all;

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

²⁰Brothers, be not children in the minds; yet in the evil be little children, but in the thinking be full grown.

²¹In the law it has been written that by other tongues and by lips of others I will speak this to the people, and not even thus will they hear Me, says the Lord.

²²So then the tongues are for a sign not to those who believe but to the untrusting, but prophecy is not to the untrusting but to the believing.

²³Therefore if the whole assembly shall gather together the place and all shall speak in tongues, and uninstructed ones or unbelievers may come in, surely they will say that you are mad?

²⁴But if all shall prophesy, and some unbeliever or uninstructed shall come in, he is convicted by all, he is examined by all,

²⁵and thus the secrets of his heart become manifest, and thus, when he had fallen upon his face, he will worship God, declaring that certainly God is among you.

²⁶Then what is it, brothers? When you may come together, each of your has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation; all things should be for edification.

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

²⁸but if there shall not be an interpreter, he should be silent in the assembly, then he should speak to himself and to God.

²⁹Then prophets two or three should speak, and the others should discern;

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

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

³²and spirits of prophets are subject to prophets;

³³for God is not of disorder but of wholeness, as in all the assemblies of the holy ones.

³⁴Your women should be silent in the assemblies; for it is not allowed to them to speak, but they should be submitted, even as also the law says.

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

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

³⁷If anyone considers himself to be a prophet or spiritual, he should recognize the things I write to you, that of the Lord is the command;

³⁸but if anyone is ignorant, him is ignored.

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

⁴⁰But all things should be done properly and with order.