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Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you in some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?(A) It is the same way with lifeless instruments that produce sound, such as the flute or the harp. If they do not give distinct notes, how will what is being played on the flute or harp be recognized? And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle?(B) So with yourselves: If in a tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is being said? For you will be speaking into the air.(C) 10 There are doubtless many different kinds of sounds in the world, and nothing is without sound. 11 If then I do not know the meaning of a sound, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me.(D) 12 So with yourselves: since you are striving after spiritual gifts, seek to excel in them for building up the church.

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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 (A)revelation, or of (B)knowledge, or of (C)prophecy, or of (D)teaching? 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? For if (E)the trumpet produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle? So you too, unless you produce intelligible speech by the tongue, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will just be (F)talking to the air. 10 There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of [a]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 (G)unintelligible to the one who speaks, and the one who speaks will be unintelligible [b]to me. 12 So you too, since you are eager to possess [c]spiritual gifts, strive to excel for the (H)edification of the church.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 14:10 Lit voices
  2. 1 Corinthians 14:11 Or in my estimation
  3. 1 Corinthians 14:12 Lit spirits