1 Corinthians 14
Bible in Basic English (BBE)
1 Ref Go after love; still desiring to have the things which the Spirit gives, but most of all that you may have the prophet's power.
2 Ref For he who makes use of tongues is not talking to men but to God; because no one has the sense of what he is saying; but in the Spirit he is talking of secret things.
3 Ref But the word of the prophet gives men knowledge and comfort and strength.
4 Ref He who makes use of tongues may do good to himself; but he who gives the prophet's word does good to the church.
5 Ref Now though it is my desire for you all to have the power of tongues, it would give me more pleasure to be hearing the prophet's word from you; for this is a greater thing than using tongues, if the sense is not given at the same time, for the good of the church.
6 Ref But, now, my brothers, if I come to you using tongues, what profit will it be to you, if I do not give you a revelation, or knowledge, or the word of the prophet, or teaching?
7 Ref Even things without life, having a voice, such as a music-pipe or other instrument, if they do not give out different sounds, who may be certain what is being played?
8 Ref For if the war-horn gives out an uncertain note, who will get ready for the fight?
9 Ref So if you, in using a strange tongue, say words which have no sense, how will anyone take in what you are saying? for you will be talking to the air.
10 There are, it may be, a number of different voices in the world, and no voice is without sense.
11 Ref But if the sense of the voice is not clear to me, I am like a man from a strange country to him who is talking, and he will be the same to me.
12 Ref So if you are desiring the things which the Spirit gives, let your minds be turned first to the things which are for the good of the church.
13 Ref For this reason, let the man who has the power of using tongues make request that he may, at the same time, be able to give the sense.
14 Ref For if I make use of tongues in my prayers, my spirit makes the prayer, but not my mind.
15 Ref What then? let my prayer be from the spirit, and equally from the mind; let my song be from the spirit, and equally from mind.
16 Ref For if you give a blessing with the spirit, how will the man who has no knowledge say, So be it, after your prayer, seeing that he has not taken in what you are saying?
17 Ref For your giving of the blessing is certainly well done, but of no profit to the man without knowledge.
18 Ref I give praise to God that I am able to make use of tongues more than you all:
19 Ref But in the church it would be better for me to make use of five words of which the sense was clear, so that others might have profit, than ten thousand words in a strange tongue.
20 Ref My brothers, do not be children in mind: in evil be as little children, but in mind be of full growth.
21 Ref In the law it is said, By men of other tongues and by strange lips will my words come to this people; and not even so will they give ear to me, says the Lord.
22 Ref For this reason tongues are for a sign, not to those who have faith, but to those who have not: but the prophet's word is for those who have faith, and not for the rest who have not.
23 Ref If, then, the church has come together, and all are using tongues, and there come in men without knowledge or faith, will they not say that you are unbalanced?
24 Ref But if all are teaching as prophets, and a man without faith or knowledge comes in, he is tested by all, he is judged by all;
25 Ref The secrets of his heart are made clear; and he will go down on his face and give worship to God, saying that God is truly among you.
26 Ref What is it then, my brothers? when you come together everyone has a holy song, or a revelation, or a tongue, or is giving the sense of it. Let everything be done for the common good.
27 Ref If any man makes use of a tongue, let it not be more than two, or at the most three, and in turn; and let someone give the sense:
28 But if there is no one to give the sense, let him keep quiet in the church; and let his words be to himself and to God.
29 Ref And let the prophets give their words, but not more than two or three, and let the others be judges of what they say.
30 Ref But if a revelation is given to another who is seated near, let the first be quiet.
31 Ref For you may all be prophets in turn so that all may get knowledge and comfort;
32 Ref And the spirits of the prophets are controlled by the prophets;
33 Ref For God is not a God whose ways are without order, but a God of peace; as in all the churches of the saints.
34 Ref Let women keep quiet in the churches: for it is not right for them to be talking; but let them be under control, as it says in the law.
35 Ref And if they have a desire for knowledge about anything, let them put questions to their husbands privately: for talking in the church puts shame on a woman.
36 Ref What? was it from you that the word of God went out? or did it only come in to you?
37 Ref If any man seems to himself to be a prophet or to have the Spirit, let him take note of the things which I am writing to you, as being the word of the Lord.
38 Ref But if any man is without knowledge, let him be so.
39 Ref So then, my brothers, let it be your chief desire to be prophets; but let no one be stopped from using tongues.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 Ref Pursue the love, and seek earnestly the spiritual things, and rather that ye may prophecy,
2 Ref for he who is speaking in an `unknown' tongue -- to men he doth not speak, but to God, for no one doth hearken, and in spirit he doth speak secrets;
3 Ref and he who is prophesying to men doth speak edification, and exhortation, and comfort;
4 Ref he who is speaking in an `unknown' tongue, himself doth edify, and he who is prophesying, an assembly doth edify;
5 Ref and I wish you all to speak with tongues, and more that ye may prophecy, for greater is he who is prophesying than he who is speaking with tongues, except one may interpret, that the assembly may receive edification.
6 Ref And now, brethren, if I may come unto you speaking tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either in revelation, or in knowledge, or in prophesying, or in teaching?
7 Ref yet the things without life giving sound -- whether pipe or harp -- if a difference in the sounds they may not give, how shall be known that which is piped or that which is harped?
8 Ref for if also an uncertain sound a trumpet may give, who shall prepare himself for battle?
9 Ref so also ye, if through the tongue, speech easily understood ye may not give -- how shall that which is spoken be known? for ye shall be speaking to air.
10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is unmeaning,
11 Ref if, then, I do not know the power of the voice, I shall be to him who is speaking a foreigner, and he who is speaking, is to me a foreigner;
12 Ref so also ye, since ye are earnestly desirous of spiritual gifts, for the building up of the assembly seek that ye may abound;
13 Ref wherefore he who is speaking in an `unknown' tongue -- let him pray that he may interpret;
14 Ref for if I pray in an `unknown' tongue, my spirit doth pray, and my understanding is unfruitful.
15 Ref What then is it? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray also with the understanding; I will sing psalms with the spirit, and I will sing psalms also with the understanding;
16 Ref since, if thou mayest bless with the spirit, he who is filling the place of the unlearned, how shall he say the Amen at thy giving of thanks, since what thou dost say he hath not known?
17 Ref for thou, indeed, dost give thanks well, but the other is not built up!
18 Ref I give thanks to my God -- more than you all with tongues speaking --
19 Ref but in an assembly I wish to speak five words through my understanding, that others also I may instruct, rather than myriads of words in an `unknown' tongue.
20 Ref Brethren, become not children in the understanding, but in the evil be ye babes, and in the understanding become ye perfect;
21 Ref in the law it hath been written, that, `With other tongues and with other lips I will speak to this people, and not even so will they hear Me, saith the Lord;'
22 Ref so that the tongues are for a sign, not to the believing, but to the unbelieving; and the prophesy `is' not for the unbelieving, but for the believing,
23 Ref If, therefore, the whole assembly may come together, to the same place, and all may speak with tongues, and there may come in unlearned or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
24 Ref and if all may prophecy, and any one may come in, an unbeliever or unlearned, he is convicted by all, he is discerned by all,
25 Ref and so the secrets of his heart become manifest, and so having fallen upon `his' face, he will bow before God, declaring that God really is among you.
26 Ref What then is it, brethren? whenever ye may come together, each of you hath a psalm, hath a teaching, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation? let all things be for building up;
27 Ref if an `unknown' tongue any one do speak, by two, or at the most, by three, and in turn, and let one interpret;
28 and if there may be no interpreter, let him be silent in an assembly, and to himself let him speak, and to God.
29 Ref And prophets -- let two or three speak, and let the others discern,
30 Ref and if to another sitting `anything' may be revealed, let the first be silent;
31 Ref for ye are able, one by one, all to prophesy, that all may learn, and all may be exhorted,
32 Ref and the spiritual gift of prophets to prophets are subject,
33 Ref for God is not `a God' of tumult, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints.
34 Ref Your women in the assemblies let them be silent, for it hath not been permitted to them to speak, but to be subject, as also the law saith;
35 Ref and if they wish to learn anything, at home their own husbands let them question, for it is a shame to women to speak in an assembly.
36 Ref From you did the word of God come forth? or to you alone did it come?
37 Ref if any one doth think to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge the things that I write to you -- that of the Lord they are commands;
38 Ref and if any one is ignorant -- let him be ignorant;
39 Ref so that, brethren, earnestly desire to prophesy, and to speak with tongues do not forbid;
King James Version (KJV)
1 Ref Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
2 Ref For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
3 Ref But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
4 Ref He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
5 Ref I would that ye all spake with tongues but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
6 Ref Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
7 Ref And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
8 Ref For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
9 Ref So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.
11 Ref Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.
12 Ref Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
13 Ref Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
14 Ref For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.
15 Ref 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.
16 Ref Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?
17 Ref For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
18 Ref I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
19 Ref Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
20 Ref Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
21 Ref In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.
22 Ref Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
23 Ref If therefore the whole church be 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?
24 Ref But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:
25 Ref And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
26 Ref How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
27 Ref If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
29 Ref Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
30 Ref If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
31 Ref For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
32 Ref And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
33 Ref For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
34 Ref Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law.
35 Ref And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
36 Ref What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?
37 Ref If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
38 Ref But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.
39 Ref Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.