1 P rocurad alcanzar el amor; y desead con celo los dones espirituales, especialmente que profeticéis.

Eagerly pursue and seek to acquire love; and earnestly desire and cultivate the spiritual endowments (gifts), especially that you may prophesy ( interpret the divine will and purpose in inspired preaching and teaching).

2 P orque el que habla en lenguas, no habla a los hombres, sino a Dios; pues nadie le entiende, sino que en espíritu habla misterios.

For one who speaks in an tongue speaks not to men but to God, for no one understands or catches his meaning, because in the Spirit he utters secret truths and hidden things.

3 P ero el que profetiza, habla a los hombres para edificación, exhortación y consolación.

But, the one who prophesies '> interprets the divine will and purpose in inspired preaching and teaching] speaks to men for their upbuilding and constructive spiritual progress and encouragement and consolation.

4 E l que habla en lenguas, a sí mismo se edifica; pero el que profetiza, edifica a la iglesia.

He who speaks in a tongue edifies and improves himself, but he who prophesies '> interpreting the divine will and purpose and teaching with inspiration] edifies and improves the church and promotes growth.

5 A sí que, querría que todos vosotros hablaseis en lenguas, pero más que profetizaseis; porque el que profetiza es superior al que habla en lenguas, a no ser que las interprete para que la iglesia reciba edificación.

Now I wish that you might all speak in tongues, but more especially to prophesy (to be inspired to preach and interpret the divine will and purpose). He who prophesies is greater (more useful and more important) than he who speaks in tongues, unless he should interpret, so that the church may be edified and receive good.

6 A sí pues, hermanos, si yo voy a vosotros hablando en lenguas, ¿de qué provecho os seré, si no os hablo con revelación, o con ciencia, o con profecía, o con enseñanza?

Now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how shall I make it to your advantage unless I speak to you either in revelation (disclosure of God’s will to man) in knowledge or in prophecy or in instruction?

7 C iertamente las cosas inanimadas que producen sonidos, como la flauta o la cítara, si no dan distinción de notas, ¿cómo se sabrá lo que se toca con la flauta o con la cítara?

If even inanimate musical instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know or understand what is played?

8 Y si la trompeta da un sonido confuso, ¿quién se preparará para la batalla?

And if the war bugle gives an uncertain (indistinct) call, who will prepare for battle?

9 A sí también vosotros, si por la lengua no dais palabra bien comprensible, ¿cómo se entenderá lo que decís? Porque hablaréis al aire.

Just so it is with you; if you in the tongue speak words that are not intelligible, how will anyone understand what you are saying? For you will be talking into empty space!

10 T antas clases de lenguas hay, seguramente, en el mundo, y ninguna de ellas carece de significado.

There are, I suppose, all these many tongues in the world, and none is destitute of expression and meaning.

11 P ero si yo ignoro el valor de las palabras, seré como extranjero para el que habla, y el que habla será como extranjero para mí.

But if I do not know the force and significance of the speech (language), I shall seem to be a foreigner to the one who speaks, and the speaker who addresses will seem a foreigner to me.

12 A sí también vosotros; pues que anheláis dones espirituales, procurad abundar en ellos para edificación de la iglesia.

So it is with yourselves; since you are so eager and ambitious to possess spiritual endowments and manifestations of the Spirit, striving to excel and to abound in ways that will build up the church.

13 P or lo cual, el que habla en lenguas, pida en oración poder interpretarlas.

Therefore, the person who speaks in an tongue should pray to interpret and explain what he says.

14 P orque si oro en lenguas, mi espíritu ora, pero mi entendimiento queda sin fruto.

For if I pray in an tongue, my spirit '> Holy Spirit within me] prays, but my mind is unproductive.

15 ¿ Qué, pues? Oraré con el espíritu, pero oraré también con el entendimiento; cantaré con el espíritu, pero cantaré también con el entendimiento.

Then what am I to do? I will pray with my spirit '> Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will also pray with my mind and understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind and understanding also.

16 P orque si bendices sólo con el espíritu, el que ocupa lugar de oyente sencillo, ¿cómo dirá el Amén a tu acción de gracias?; pues no sabe lo que estás diciendo.

Otherwise, if you bless and render thanks with spirit '> thoroughly aroused by the Holy Spirit], how can anyone in the position of an outsider or he who is not gifted with tongues, say the Amen to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?

17 P orque tú, a la verdad, das gracias bien; pero el otro no es edificado.

To be sure, you may give thanks well (nobly), but the bystander is not edified.

18 D oy gracias a Dios de que hablo en lenguas más que todos vosotros;

I thank God that I speak in tongues (languages) more than any of you or all of you put together;

19 p ero en la iglesia prefiero hablar cinco palabras con mi entendimiento, para instruir también a otros, que diez mil palabras en lenguas.

Nevertheless, in public worship, I would rather say five words with my understanding and intelligently in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue (language).

20 H ermanos, no seáis niños en el modo de pensar, sino sed niños en la malicia, pero maduros en el modo de pensar.

Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; continue to be babes in evil, but in your minds be mature.

21 E n la ley está escrito: En otras lenguas y con otros labios hablaré a este pueblo; y ni aun así me escucharán, dice el Señor.

It is written in the Law, By men of strange languages and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and not even then will they listen to Me, says the Lord.

22 A sí que, las lenguas son por señal, no a los creyentes, sino a los incrédulos; pero la profecía, no a los incrédulos, sino a los creyentes.

Thus tongues are meant for a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy (inspired preaching and teaching, interpreting the divine will and purpose) is not for unbelievers but for believers.

23 S i, pues, toda la iglesia se reúne en un solo lugar, y todos hablan en lenguas, y entran indoctos o incrédulos, ¿no dirán que estáis locos?

Therefore, if the whole church assembles and all of you speak in tongues, and the ungifted and uninitiated or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are demented?

24 P ero si todos profetizan, y entra algún incrédulo o indocto, por todos es convencido, por todos es juzgado;

But if all prophesy and an unbeliever or untaught outsider comes in, he is told of his sin and reproved and convicted and convinced by all, and his defects and needs are examined (estimated, determined) and he is called to account by all,

25 l o secreto de su corazón se hace manifiesto; y así, postrándose sobre el rostro, adorará a Dios, declarando que Dios está realmente entre vosotros.

The secrets of his heart are laid bare; and so, falling on face, he will worship God, declaring that God is among you in very truth.

26 ¿ Qué, pues, hermanos? Cuando os reunís, cada uno de vosotros tiene salmo, tiene enseñanza, tiene lengua, tiene revelación, tiene interpretación. Hágase todo para edificación.

What then, brethren, is ? When you meet together, each one has a hymn, a teaching, a disclosure of special knowledge or information, an utterance in a tongue, or an interpretation of it. let everything be constructive and edifying and for the good of all.

27 S i habla alguno en lenguas, que lo hagan dos, o a lo más tres, y por turno; y uno interprete.

If some speak in a tongue, let the number be limited to two or at the most three, and each one turn, and let one interpret and explain.

28 Y si no hay intérprete, calle en la iglesia, y hable para sí mismo y para Dios.

But if there is no one to do the interpreting, let each of them keep still in church and talk to himself and to God.

29 A simismo, los profetas hablen dos o tres, y los demás disciernan.

So let two or three prophets speak, while the rest pay attention and weigh and discern what is said.

30 Y si algo le es revelado a otro que esté sentado, calle el primero.

But if an inspired revelation comes to another who is sitting by, then let the first one be silent.

31 P orque podéis profetizar todos uno por uno, para que todos aprendan, y todos sean exhortados.

For in this way you can give testimony one by one, so that all may be instructed and all may be stimulated and encouraged;

32 Y los espíritus de los profetas estén sometidos a los profetas;

For the spirits of the prophets (the speakers in tongues) are under the speaker’s control,

33 p ues Dios no es Dios de confusión, sino de paz. Como en todas las iglesias de los santos,

For He is not a God of confusion and disorder but of peace and order. As in all the churches of the saints (God’s people),

34 v uestras mujeres callen en las congregaciones; porque no les es permitido hablar, sino que estén sometidas, como también la ley lo dice.

The women should keep quiet in the churches, for they are not authorized to speak, but should take a secondary and subordinate place, just as the Law also says.

35 Y si quieren aprender algo, pregunten en casa a sus maridos; porque es indecoroso para las mujeres el hablar en la congregación.

But if there is anything they want to learn, they should ask their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful for a woman to talk in church '> for her to usurp and exercise authority over men in the church].

36 ¿ Acaso ha procedido de vosotros la palabra de Dios, o ha llegado sólo a vosotros?

What! Did the word of the Lord originate with you, or has it reached only you?

37 S i alguno se cree profeta, o espiritual, reconozca que lo que os escribo son mandamientos del Señor.

If anyone thinks and claims that he is a prophet or has any other spiritual endowment, let him understand (recognize and acknowledge) that what I am writing to you is a command of the Lord.

38 P ero si alguno lo ignora, que lo ignore.

But if anyone disregards or does not recognize '> that it is a command of the Lord], he is disregarded and not recognized '> one whom God knows not].

39 A sí que, hermanos, anhelad el profetizar, y no impidáis el hablar en lenguas;

So, my brethren, earnestly desire and set your hearts on prophesying (on being inspired to preach and teach and to interpret God’s will and purpose), and do not forbid or hinder speaking in tongues.

40 p ero hágase todo decentemente y con orden.

But all things should be done with regard to decency and propriety and in an orderly fashion.