The Excellence of Love

13 If I speak with the ^(A)tongues of mankind and of ^(B)angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a ^(C)clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of ^(D)prophecy and know all ^(E)mysteries and all ^(F)knowledge, and if I have ^(G)all faith so as to ^(H)remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ And if I ^(I)give away all my possessions to charity, and if I ^(J)surrender my body so that I may ^[a]glory, but do not have love, it does me no good.

⁴ Love ^(K)is patient, love is kind, it ^(L)is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not ^(M)arrogant. ⁵ It does not act disgracefully, it ^(N)does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, ^(O)does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, ^6 (P)it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but ^(Q)rejoices with the truth; ⁷ it ^[b](R)keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never fails; but if there are gifts of ^[c](S)prophecy, they will be done away with; if there are ^(T)tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away with. ⁹ For we ^(U)know in part and prophesy in part; ¹⁰ but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away with. ¹¹ When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I ^[d]became a man, I did away with childish things. ¹² For now we ^(V)see in a mirror ^[e]dimly, but then ^(W)face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also ^(X)have been fully known. ¹³ But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the ^[f]greatest of these is ^(Y)love.

Prophecy a Superior Gift

14 ^(Z)Pursue love, yet earnestly ^(AA)desire ^(AB)spiritual gifts, but especially that you may ^(AC)prophesy. ² For the one who ^(AD)speaks in a tongue does not speak to people, but to God; for no one ^[g]understands, but ^[h]in his spirit he speaks ^(AE)mysteries. ³ But the one who prophesies speaks to people for ^(AF)edification, ^[i](AG)exhortation, and consolation. ⁴ The one who ^(AH)speaks in a tongue ^(AI)edifies himself; but the one who ^(AJ)prophesies ^(AK)edifies the church. ⁵ Now I wish that you all ^(AL)spoke in tongues, but ^(AM)rather that you would prophesy; and greater is the one who prophesies than the one who ^(AN)speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive ^(AO)edification.

⁶ But now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you either by way of ^(AP)revelation, or of ^(AQ)knowledge, or of ^(AR)prophecy, or of ^(AS)teaching? ⁷ Yet even lifeless instruments, whether flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp? ⁸ For if ^(AT)the trumpet produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle? ⁹ So you too, unless you produce intelligible speech by the tongue, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will just be ^(AU)talking to the air. ¹⁰ There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of ^[j]languages in the world, and none is incapable of meaning. ¹¹ So if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be ^(AV)unintelligible to the one who speaks, and the one who speaks will be unintelligible ^[k]to me. ¹² So you too, since you are eager to possess ^[l]spiritual gifts, strive to excel for the ^(AW)edification of the church.

¹³ Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue is to pray that he may interpret. ¹⁴ For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unproductive. ^15 (AX)What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray with the mind also; I will ^(AY)sing with the spirit, but I will sing with the mind also. ¹⁶ For otherwise, if you bless God ^[m]in the spirit only, how will the one who occupies the place of the ^[n]outsider know to say ^(AZ)the “Amen” at your ^(BA)giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you are saying? ¹⁷ For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not ^(BB)edified. ¹⁸ I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; ¹⁹ nevertheless, in church I prefer to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Instruction for the Church

^20 (BC)Brothers and sisters, ^(BD)do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil ^(BE)be infants, but in your thinking be mature. ²¹ In ^(BF)the ^[o]Law it is written: “^(BG)By men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, and even so they will not listen to Me,” says the Lord. ²² So then, tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but ^(BH)prophecy is not for unbelievers, but for those who believe. ²³ Therefore if the whole church gathers together and all the people speak in tongues, and ^[p]outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that ^(BI)you are insane? ²⁴ But if all ^(BJ)prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ^[q]outsider enters, he is ^(BK)convicted by all, he is called to account by all; ^25 (BL)the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will ^(BM)fall on his face and worship God, ^(BN)declaring that God is certainly among you.

^26 (BO)What is the outcome then, ^(BP)brothers and sisters? When you assemble, ^(BQ)each one has a ^(BR)psalm, has a ^(BS)teaching, has a ^(BT)revelation, has a ^(BU)tongue, has an ^(BV)interpretation. ^(BW)All things are to be done for edification. ²⁷ If anyone speaks in a ^(BX)tongue, it must be by two or at the most three, and each one in turn, and one is to ^(BY)interpret; ²⁸ but if there is no interpreter, he is to keep silent in church; and have him speak to himself and to God. ²⁹ Have two or three ^(BZ)prophets speak, and have the others ^(CA)pass judgment. ³⁰ But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, then the first one is to keep silent. ³¹ For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be ^[r]exhorted; ³² and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; ³³ for God is not a God of ^(CB)confusion, but of peace.

As in ^(CC)all the churches of the ^[s](CD)saints, ³⁴ the women are to ^(CE)keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but ^(CF)are to subject themselves, just as ^(CG)the Law also says. ³⁵ If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is ^[t]improper for a woman to speak in church. ³⁶ Or was it from you that the word of God first went out? Or has it come to you only?

^37 (CH)If anyone thinks that he is a prophet or ^(CI)spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you ^(CJ)are the Lord’s commandment. ³⁸ But if anyone does not recognize this, ^[u]he is not recognized.

³⁹ Therefore, my brothers and sisters, ^(CK)earnestly desire to ^(CL)prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. ⁴⁰ But ^(CM)all things must be done properly and in an orderly way.

Prayer of an Old Man for Rescue.