¹⁰ Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”^(A)

¹¹ The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute?^(B) Who gives them sight or makes them blind?^(C) Is it not I, the Lord? ¹² Now go;^(D) I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”^(E)

⁸ Then I heard the voice^(A) of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send?^(B) And who will go for us?^(C)”

And I said, “Here am I.^(D) Send me!”

Ezekiel’s Call to Be a Prophet

2 He said to me, “Son of man,^[a](A) stand^(B) up on your feet and I will speak to you.^(C)” ² As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me^(D) to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.

³ He said: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day.^{(E) 4} The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn.^(F) Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’^{(G) 5} And whether they listen or fail to listen^(H)—for they are a rebellious people^(I)—they will know that a prophet has been among them.^{(J) 6} And you, son of man, do not be afraid^(K) of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns^(L) are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.^{(M) 7} You must speak^(N) my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.^(O)

⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit^(A) distributes them. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone^(B) it is the same God^(C) at work.

⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.^{(D) 8} To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom,^(E) to another a message of knowledge^(F) by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith^(G) by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing^(H) by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers,^(I) to another prophecy,^(J) to another distinguishing between spirits,^(K) to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,^[a](L) and to still another the interpretation of tongues.^{[b] 11} All these are the work of one and the same Spirit,^(M) and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Unity and Diversity in the Body

¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body,^(N) so it is with Christ.^{(O) 13} For we were all baptized^(P) by^[c] one Spirit^(Q) so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free^(R)—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.^{(S) 14} Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.^(T)

¹⁵ Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has placed^(U) the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.^{(V) 19} If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.^(W)

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ,^(X) and each one of you is a part of it.^{(Y) 28} And God has placed in the church^(Z) first of all apostles,^(AA) second prophets,^(AB) third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing,^(AC) of helping, of guidance,^(AD) and of different kinds of tongues.^{(AE) 29} Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues^[d]?^(AF) Do all interpret? ³¹ Now eagerly desire^(AG) the greater gifts.

Love Is Indispensable

And yet I will show you the most excellent way.