1 Corinthians 14
English Standard Version
Prophecy and Tongues
14 (A)Pursue love, and (B)earnestly desire the (C)spiritual gifts, especially that you may (D)prophesy. 2 For (E)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, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. 4 The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 5 Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but (F)even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.
6 Now, brothers,[a] if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some (G)revelation or knowledge or prophecy or (H)teaching? 7 If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? 8 And (I)if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? 9 So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be (J)speaking into the air. 10 There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, 11 but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be (K)a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. 12 So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.
13 Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; (L)I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will (M)sing with my mind also. 16 Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider[b] say (N)“Amen” to (O)your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. 18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 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, (P)do not be children in your thinking. (Q)Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be (R)mature. 21 (S)In the Law it is written, (T)“By people 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 Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign[c] not for unbelievers but for believers. 23 If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, (U)will they not say that you are out of your minds? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 (V)the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, (W)falling on his face, he will worship God and (X)declare that God is really among you.
Orderly Worship
26 What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has (Y)a hymn, (Z)a lesson, (AA)a revelation, (AB)a tongue, or (AC)an interpretation. (AD)Let all things be done for building up. 27 If any speak in (AE)a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28 But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others (AF)weigh what is said. 30 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, (AG)let the first be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. 33 For God is not a God of (AH)confusion but of peace.
As in (AI)all the churches of the saints, 34 (AJ)the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but (AK)should be in submission, as (AL)the Law also says. 35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.
36 Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? 37 (AM)If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. 38 If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. 39 So, my brothers, (AN)earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 (AO)But all things should be done decently and (AP)in order.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 14:6 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 20, 26, 39
- 1 Corinthians 14:16 Or of him that is without gifts
- 1 Corinthians 14:22 Greek lacks a sign
Kehillah in Corinth I 14
Orthodox Jewish Bible
14 Pursue ahavah (agape), and eagerly desire the things of the Ruach Hakodesh (matanot HaRuach Hakodesh), and especially that you may speak forth a dvar hanevu’ah (word of prophecy).
2 For the one speaking in a lashon (tongue) speaks not to Bnei Adam but to Hashem; for no one grasps with their ears, but the speaker by the Ruach Hakodesh speaks sodot (mysteries).
3 However, the one speaking forth divrei nevu’ah (words of prophecy) speaks to Bnei Adam for chizzuk (strengthening) and musar encouragement and nechamah (comfort).
4 The one speaking in a lashon (tongue) edifies himself; but, the one speaking forth a dvar hanevu’ah (word of prophecy) edifies kehillah.
5 Now I desire all of you to speak in leshonot (tongues), and even more that you may speak forth a dvar hanevu’ah (word of prophecy) (BAMIDBAR 11:29). Now greater is the one speaking forth a dvar nevu’ah (word of prophecy) than the one speaking in leshonot, unless he gives the pitron (interpretation) of the leshonot (tongues), that the kehillah (congregation) may receive the edification.
6 But now, Achim b’Moshiach, if I come to you speaking in leshonot (tongues), what will I benefit you unless I speak to you either with a dvar hisgalus (a word of revelation) or with a dvar da’as or with a dvar nevu’ah or with a dvar hora’ah (word of teaching)?
7 So even lifeless things, like the flute or harp, if they do not articulate a distinction in the notes, how will it be known what is being played on the flute or on the harp?
8 Indeed, if a shofar gives an unclear trumpet call, who will prepare himself for krav (battle)? [BAMIDBAR 10:9; YIRMEYAH 4:19]
9 So also unless you by your lashon (tongue) render an intelligible dvar Torah, how will the thing being uttered be known? For you will be merely speaking into the air.
10 There are doubtless many kinds of foreign languages in the Olam Hazeh, and not one is meaningless.
11 If, therefore, I do not have da’as of the meaning of the language, I will be to the speaker a foreigner and the speaker will be a foreigner to me. [BERESHIS 11:7]
12 So also you, als (since) you have a zeal for the matanot of the Ruach Hakodesh, endeavor to abound in them for the edification of the Kehillah (Congregation).
13 Therefore, the speaker in a lashon (tongue), let him offer tefillos that he may give the pitron (interpretation).
14 For if I daven (pray) in a lashon, my nashamah davens, but my sikhliyut (rationality) lies shemitah (fallow).
15 Nu? (Well?) I will daven [in leshonot] with my nashamah, and I will daven also with my seichel; I will sing [in leshonot] with my nashamah, and I will sing niggunim also with my seichel.
16 Otherwise, if you make a bracha [in leshonot] with your neshamah, how will the am ha’aretz, who have no idea what you are saying, answer the "Omein"? [DEVARIM 27:15:26; DIVREY HAYAMIM ALEF 16:36; NECHEMYAH 8:6; TEHILLIM 106:48]
17 For indeed you make the bracha well enough, but the other is not being edified.
18 Modeh Ani Hashem that I speak in leshonot more than all of you,
19 but in kehillah I want to speak five words with my sikhliyut (rationality), that also others I may instruct with a dvar hora’ah (word of teaching), rather than speak ten thousand words in a lashon (tongue).
20 Achim b’Moshiach, be not yeladim in your machsh’vot (thoughts); be infantile in kavvanah ra’ah (malice), perhaps, but in your binah, be mature. [YIRMEYAH 4:22]
21 In the Torah it stands written, KI BELA’AGEI SAFAH UVELASHON ACHERET YEDABER EL HAAM HAZEH...V’LO AVU SHMO’A ("Then with ones of foreign lip and with strange tongue he will speak to this people... but they were not willing to listen"‖YESHAYAH 28:11-12), says the L-rd.
22 So then the leshonot (tongues) are for an ot (miraculous sign), not to the ones believing, the ma’aminim in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, but an ot (miraculous sign) to the Apikorosim; but divrei hanevu’ah (words of prophecy) are not for the Apikorosim, but for the ones believing, the ma’aminim in Moshiach.
23 If, therefore, the kehillah has a farbrengen gathering and all speak in leshonot (tongues), and then in walks the am ha’aretz or the Apikorosim, will they not say that you are all meshuggah?
24 However, if all speak forth divrei hanevu’ah (words of prophecy), and then in walks some Apikorosim or am ha’aretz, such a visitor is brought under conviction by all, he is brought into mishpat (judgment) by all,
25 What is hiding in his lev (heart) becomes manifest, and, having fallen on his face, he worships Hashem, declaring that G-d is among you (Zech 8:23; Isa 45:14; Dan 2:47).
26 Nu? Well? Achim b’Moshiach, when you come together, each one has a mizmor (hymn, psalm), a musar (teaching with an ethical point), a dvar hisgalus (a dvar of revelation), a lashon (tongue), or a pitron (interpretation) of a lashon (tongue); let all things be for edification.
27 If anyone speaks in a lashon (tongue), let the speakers be shenayim (two) or at most shloshah (three), and by turn, and let one give the pitron (interpretation).
28 But if there is no one to give the pitron, let the one with the lashon (tongue) be silent in the kehillah and let him instead speak to himself and to Hashem.
29 And let shenayim or shloshah nevi’im speak and let the other nevi’im be used with discernings of ruchot (spirits) (12:10).
30 And if a dvar hisgalus (a word of revelation) is given to a navi sitting by, let the first navi become silent.
31 For you all are able one by one to speak forth a dvar hanevu’ah (word of prophecy), in order that all may learn and receive chizzuk (strengthening).
32 And the neshamot of nevi’im are subject to the nevi’im.
33 For Hashem is no Elohei HaMevucha (the G-d of Confusion, Tohu); He is Elohei HaShalom, and this is so in all the kehillot of the Kadoshim.
34 Let the nashim in the kehillot be silent, for it is not permitted for them to blurt out, but let them become submissive, as it says in the Torah (BERESHIS 3:16).
35 And if the nashim wish to inquire about something, let them inquire of their own be’alim b’bayis, for it is a bushah (shame) for an isha to blurt out in the kehillah (BERESHIS 3:2).
36 Or from you did the dvar Hashem go forth (YESHAYAH 2:3), or to you only did it reach?
37 If anyone thinks himself to be a navi or a man of the Ruach Hakodesh (2:13), let him have full da’as that the things I wrote to you are a mitzvoh of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu.
38 But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.
39 So then, Achim b’Moshiach of mine, earnestly desire to speak forth a dvar hanevu’ah (word of prophecy), and do not forbid speaking in leshonot (tongues).
40 Let all things be done b’seder and without bushah (shame).
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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