1 F ollow after love; yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

You should want to have this love. You should want the gifts of the Holy Spirit and most of all to be able to speak God’s Word.

2 F or he that speaketh in a tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God; for no man understandeth; but in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

The man who speaks in special sounds speaks to God. He is not speaking to men. No one understands. He is speaking secret things through the power of the Holy Spirit.

3 B ut he that prophesieth speaketh unto men edification, and exhortation, and consolation.

The man who speaks God’s Word speaks to men. It helps them to learn and understand. It gives them comfort.

4 H e that speaketh in a tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.

The man who speaks in special sounds receives strength. The man who speaks God’s Word gives strength to the church.

5 N ow I would have you all speak with tongues, but rather that ye should prophesy: and greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

I wish all of you spoke in special sounds. But more than that, I wish all of you spoke God’s Word. The one who speaks God’s Word has a more important gift than the one who speaks in special sounds. But if he can tell what he is speaking, the church will be helped.

6 B ut now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, unless I speak to you either by way of revelation, or of knowledge, or of prophesying, or of teaching?

Christian brothers, if I come to you speaking in special sounds, what good is it to you? But if I tell you something God has shown me or something I have learned or what God’s Word says will happen in the future or teach you God’s Word, it will be for your good.

7 E ven things without life, giving a voice, whether pipe or harp, if they give not a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

There are things on which people play music. If strange sounds are made on these, how will others know which one is played?

8 F or if the trumpet give an uncertain voice, who shall prepare himself for war?

If a horn does not make a good sound, how will men know they are to get ready to fight?

9 S o also ye, unless ye utter by the tongue speech easy to understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye will be speaking into the air.

It is the same if you speak to a person in special sounds. How will he know what you say? Your sounds will be lost in the air.

10 T here are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and no kind is without signification.

There are many languages in the world. All of them have meaning to the people who understand them.

11 I f then I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be to him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh will be a barbarian unto me.

But if I do not understand the language someone uses to speak to me, the man who speaks is a stranger to me. I am a stranger to him.

12 S o also ye, since ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may abound unto the edifying of the church.

Since you want gifts from the Holy Spirit, ask for those that will build up the whole church.

13 W herefore let him that speaketh in a tongue pray that he may interpret.

So the man who speaks in special sounds should pray for the gift to be able to tell what they mean.

14 F or if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

If I pray in special sounds, my spirit is doing the praying. My mind does not understand.

15 W hat is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

What should I do? I will pray with my spirit and I will pray with my mind also. I will sing with my spirit and I will sing with my mind also.

16 E lse if thou bless with the spirit, how shall he that filleth the place of the unlearned say the Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he knoweth not what thou sayest?

If you honor and give thanks to God with your spirit in sounds nobody understands, how can others honor and give thanks also if they do not know what you are saying?

17 F or thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.

You are honoring and giving thanks to God, but it is not helping other people.

18 I thank God, I speak with tongues more than you all:

I thank God that I speak in special sounds more than all of you.

19 h owbeit in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

But in a meeting of the church, it is better if I say five words that others can understand and be helped by than 10, 000 words in special sounds.

20 B rethren, be not children in mind: yet in malice be ye babes, but in mind be men.

Christian brothers, do not be like children in your thinking. Be full-grown, but be like children in not knowing how to sin.

21 I n the law it is written, By men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers will I speak unto this people; and not even thus will they hear me, saith the Lord.

God says in the Holy Writings, “I will speak to My people. I will speak through men from other lands in other languages. Even then My people will not listen to Me.”

22 W herefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to the unbelieving: but prophesying is for a sign, not to the unbelieving, but to them that believe.

So then speaking in special sounds is for those who do not believe. It is not for those who believe. But speaking God’s Word is for those who believe. It is not for those who do not believe. Church Meetings

23 I f therefore the whole church be assembled together and all speak with tongues, and there come in men unlearned or unbelieving, will they not say that ye are mad?

If some people who are not Christians come to your church meeting while all the people are speaking in special sounds, they will think you are crazy.

24 B ut if all prophesy, and there come in one unbelieving or unlearned, he is reproved by all, he is judged by all;

But if a man who is not a Christian comes to your church meeting while you are all speaking God’s Word, he will understand that he is a sinner by what he hears. He will know he is guilty.

25 t he secrets of his heart are made manifest; and so he will fall down on his face and worship God, declaring that God is among you indeed.

The secrets of his heart will be brought into the open. He will get on his knees and worship God. He will say, “For sure, God is here with you!”

26 W hat is it then, brethren? When ye come together, each one hath a psalm, hath a teaching, hath a revelation, hath a tongue, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

What am I saying, Christian brothers? When you meet together for worship, some of you have a song to sing. Some of you want to teach and some have special words from God. Some of you speak in special sounds and some of you tell what they mean. Everything should be done to help those who are meeting together to grow strong as Christians.

27 I f any man speaketh in a tongue, let it be by two, or at the most three, and that in turn; and let one interpret:

No more than two or three people should speak in special sounds. Only one should speak at a time. Someone must tell the meaning of the special sounds.

28 b ut if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

If no one is there who can tell the meaning of the special sounds, he should not speak in the church. He should speak only to himself and to God.

29 A nd let the prophets speak by two or three, and let the others discern.

Two or three should speak God’s Word. The other people should listen and decide if they are speaking right.

30 B ut if a revelation be made to another sitting by, let the first keep silence.

If someone sitting in the meeting gets some special word from God, the one who is speaking should stop.

31 F or ye all can prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be exhorted;

All of you can speak God’s Word, but only one person at a time. In that way, all of you can learn and be helped.

32 a nd the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets;

Men who speak God’s Word are able to stop when they should.

33 f or God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,

God does not want everyone speaking at the same time in church meetings. He wants peace. All the churches of God’s people worship this way.

34 l et the women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but let them be in subjection, as also saith the law.

Women should not be allowed to speak in church meetings. They are to obey this teaching. The Law says this also.

35 A nd if they would learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home: for it is shameful for a woman to speak in the church.

If they want to find out about something, they should ask their husbands at home. It is a shame for a woman to speak in a church meeting.

36 W hat? was it from you that the word of God went forth? or came it unto you alone?

Did the Word of God come from you Christians in the city of Corinth? Or are you the only people who received it?

37 I f any man thinketh himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things which I write unto you, that they are the commandment of the Lord.

Some of you may think you have the gift of speaking God’s Word or some other gift from the Holy Spirit. If you do, you should know that what I am writing to you is what God has told us we must obey.

38 B ut if any man is ignorant, let him be ignorant.

If any man does not listen to this, have nothing to do with him.

39 W herefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.

So then, my Christian brothers, you should want to speak God’s Word. Do not stop anyone from speaking in special sounds.

40 B ut let all things be done decently and in order.

All things should be done in the right way, one after the other.