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1 Corinthians 14:13-19
New International Version
1 Corinthians 14:13-19
New International Version
13 For this reason the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say.(A) 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays,(B) but my mind is unfruitful. 15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit,(C) but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing(D) with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. 16 Otherwise when you are praising God in the Spirit, how can someone else, who is now put in the position of an inquirer,[a] say “Amen”(E) to your thanksgiving,(F) since they do not know what you are saying? 17 You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified.(G)
18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.(H)
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 14:16 The Greek word for inquirer is a technical term for someone not fully initiated into a religion; also in verses 23 and 24.
1 Corinthians 14:13-19
Holman Christian Standard Bible
1 Corinthians 14:13-19
Holman Christian Standard Bible
13 Therefore the person who speaks in another language should pray that he can interpret. 14 For if I pray in another language, my spirit(A) prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.(B) 15 What then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with my understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with my understanding. 16 Otherwise, if you praise with the spirit,[a] how will the uninformed person[b] say “Amen”(C) at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may very well be giving thanks, but the other person is not being built up. 18 I thank(D) God that I speak in other languages more than all of you; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words(E) with my understanding, in order to teach others also, than 10,000 words in another language.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Corinthians 14:16 Or praise by the Spirit
- 1 Corinthians 14:16 Lit the one filling the place of the uninformed
New International Version (NIV) 
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Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
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