1 ¶ Follow after charity and earnestly pursue spiritual gifts, but above all, 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 speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not unto men, but unto God, for no one understands him, even though by the Spirit he speaks 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 prophesies speaks unto men for edification and exhortation and comfort.

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 speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself, but he that prophesies edifies the congregation.

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

5 I would that ye all spoke with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied, for greater is he that prophesies than he that speaks with tongues, unless he interprets, that the congregation 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 ¶ Now, brothers, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either with revelation or with knowledge or with prophecy or with doctrine?

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 A nd even things without life giving sound, whether flute or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is played 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 gives an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

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

9 S o likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue a clear and definite word, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak 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 many kinds of distinct voices in the world, and nothing is dumb.

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

11 T herefore, if I ignore the virtue of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaks as a barbarian, and he that speaks shall 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 E ven so ye, forasmuch as ye desire the things of the Spirit, earnestly pursue excellence unto the edification of the congregation.

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

13 T herefore, let him that speaks in an unknown 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 an unknown tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.

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

15 ¶ What 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 when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupies the place of the ignorant say, Amen, at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understands 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 my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all;

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

19 y et in the congregation I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown 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 rothers, be not children in understanding, howbeit in malice be ye children; but in understanding be perfect.

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

21 ¶ In the law it is written, In other tongues and with other lips I will speak unto this people; and yet for all that, they will not 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 T herefore, tongues are for a sign, not to those that believe, but to those that do not believe; but prophecy is not for those that do not believe, but for those who 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 congregation is come together into one place and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned or unbelievers, 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 that does not believe or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of 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 f or the secrets of his heart are made manifest; and so falling down on his face, he will worship God, declaring that God is indeed in you.

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 ¶ How is it then, brothers? when ye come together, each one of you has a psalm, has doctrine, has tongues, has revelation, has interpretation. Let all things be done unto edification.

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 anyone speaks in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; 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 is no interpreter, let him keep silence in the congregation, 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 L et the prophets speak two or three, and let the others judge.

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

30 I f any thing is revealed to another that sits by, let the first be silent.

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

31 F or ye may all 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 the God of disorder, but of peace, as in all the congregations 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 ¶ Let your women keep silence in the congregations, for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to 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 desire to learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is a dishonest thing for women to speak in the congregation.

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 ¶ What? Did the word of God come out from you? or did it come unto you only?

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 anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments 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 anyone that ignores them shall be ignored.

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

39 T herefore, brothers, earnestly pursue prophecy and do not forbid 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.