1 Corinthians 14:9-19

Expanded Bible

⁹ It is the same with you. Unless you speak ·clearly [intelligible words] with your tongue, ·no one can [^Lhow will anyone…?] understand what you are saying. You will be talking into the air! ¹⁰ It may be true that there are all kinds of sounds in the world, and none is without meaning. ¹¹ But unless I understand the meaning of what someone says to me, we will be like ·foreigners [barbarians] to each other. ¹² It is the same with you. Since you ·eagerly desire [are zealous for] ·spiritual gifts [or manifestations of the Spirit], seek ·most of all to have [to excel in] the gifts that ·help the church grow stronger [build up/edify the church].

¹³ [^LTherefore] The one who has the gift of ·speaking in a different language [or ecstatic utterance; ^Ltongues] should pray for the gift to interpret what is spoken. ¹⁴ If I pray ·in a different language [or with ecstatic utterance; ^Lin a tongue], my spirit is praying, but my mind ·does nothing [^Lis unfruitful]. ¹⁵ So what should I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will ·sing [sing praises/psalms] with my spirit, but I will also ·sing [sing praises/psalms] with my mind. ¹⁶ [^LOtherwise] If you ·praise God [or pronounce a blessing] with your spirit, those persons there ·without understanding [or without the gift; or who are inquirers/seekers; vv. 23, 24] cannot say “Amen” [^Cfrom a Hebrew term meaning “it is true”; 1 Chr. 16:36] to your prayer of thanks, because they do not know what you are saying. ¹⁷ You may be thanking God ·in a good way [well enough], but the other person is not ·helped [edified; built up].

¹⁸ I thank God that I speak ·in different kinds of languages [or with ecstatic utterance; ^Lin tongues] more than all of you. ¹⁹ But in the church meetings I would rather speak five words ·I understand [^Lwith my mind] in order to teach others than thousands of words ·in a different language [or with ecstatic utterance; ^Lin a tongue].