1 Corinthians 14

¹Follow Charity, earnestly pursue spiritual things: but rather that you may prophesy.

²For he that speaketh with tongues speaketh not to men, but to God: for no man heareth. But in spirit he speaketh mysteries.

³For he that prophesieth, speaketh to men unto edification, & exhortation, & consolation.

⁴He that speaketh with tongues, edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth, edifieth the Church.

⁵And I would have you all to speak with tongues, but rather to prophesy. For greater is he that prophesieth, than he that speaketh with tongues: unless perhaps he interpret, that the Church may take edification.

⁶But now, brethren; if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, unless I speak to you either in revelation, or in knowledge, or in prophecy, or in doctrine?

⁷Yet the things without life that give a sound, be it pipe or harp, unless they give a distinction of sounds, how shall that be known which is piped, or which is harped?

⁸For if the trumpet give an uncertain voice, who shall prepare himself to battle?

⁹So you also by a tongue unless you utter manifest speech, how shall that be known that is said? for you shall be speaking into the air.

¹⁰There are (for example) so many kinds of tongues in this world, & none is without voice.

¹¹If then I know not the virtue of the voice, I shall be to him to whom I speak, barbarous; and he that speaketh barbarous to me.

¹²So you also, because you be emulators of spirits: seek to abound unto the edifying of the Church.

¹³And therefore he that speaketh with the tongue, let him pray that he may interpret.

¹⁴For if I pray with the tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is without fruit.

¹⁵What is it then? I will pray in the spirit, I will pray also in the understanding: I will sing in the spirit, I will sing also in the understanding.

¹⁶But if thou bless in the spirit, he that supplieth the place of the vulgar how shall he say, Amen, upon thy blessing? because he knoweth not what thou sayest.

¹⁷For thou indeed givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.

¹⁸I give my God thanks, that I speak with the tongue of you all.

¹⁹But in the Church I will speak five words with my understanding that I may instruct others also; rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

²⁰Brethren, be not made children in sense, but in malice be children, and in sense be perfect.

²¹In the Law it is written: That in other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people: and neither so will they hear me, saith our Lord.

²²Therefore languages are for a sign not to the faithful, but to infidels: but prophecies, not to infidels, but to the faithful.

²³If therefore the whole Church come together in one, and all speak with tongues, and there enter in vulgar persons or infidels, will they not say that you be mad?

²⁴But if all prophesy, and there enter in any infidel or vulgar person, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all.

²⁵the secrets of his heart are made manifest, and so falling on his face he will adore God, pronouncing that God is in you indeed.

²⁶What is it then, brethren? when you come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a revelation, hath a tongue, hath an interpretation: let all things be done to edification.

²⁷Whether a man speak with tongue, by two, or at the most by three, and in course, and let one interpret.

²⁸But if there be not an interpreter, let him hold his peace in the Church, and speak to himself and to God.

²⁹And let Prophets speak two or three, and let the rest judge.

³⁰But if it be revealed to another sitting, let the first hold his peace.

³¹For you may all prophesy one by one: that all may learn, and all may be exhorted:

³²and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.

³³For God is not the God of dissension, but of peace: as also in all the Churches of the saints I teach.

³⁴Let women hold their peace in the Churches: for it is not permitted them to speak, but to be subject, as also the Law saith.

³⁵But if they list learn any thing, let them ask their own husbands at home. For it is a foul thing for a woman to speak in the Church.

³⁶Or did the word of God proceed from you? came it unto you only?

³⁷If any man seem to be a Prophet, or spiritual, let him know the things that I write to you, that they are the commandments of our Lord.

³⁸But if any man know not, he shall not be known.

³⁹Therefore, brethren, be earnest to prophesy: and to speak with tongues prohibit not.

⁴⁰But let all things be done honestly and according to order among you.