1 Corinthians 14

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Make love your aim; but be eager, too, for spiritual gifts, and especial y for prophesying.	1 Pursue love, but strive eagerly for the spiritual gifts, above all that you may prophesy.
2 Those who speak in a tongue speak to God, but not to other people, because nobody understandsthem; they are speaking in the Spirit and the meaning is hidden.	2 For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to human beings but to God, for no one listens; he utters mysteries in spirit.
3 On the other hand, someone who prophesies speaks to other people, building them up and givingthem encouragement and reassurance.	3 On the other hand, one who prophesies does speak to human beings, for their building up, encouragement, and solace.
4 Those who speak in a tongue may build themselves up, but those who prophesy build up thecommunity.	4 Whoever speaks in a tongue builds himself up, but whoever prophesies builds up the church.
5 While I should like you all to speak in tongues, I would much rather you could prophesy; since thosewho prophesy are of greater importance than those who speak in tongues, unless they can interpret what theysay so that the church is built up by it.	5 Now I should like all of you to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. One who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be built up.
6 Now suppose, brothers, I come to you and speak in tongues, what good shal I do you if my speakingprovides no revelation or knowledge or prophecy or instruction?	6 Now, brothers, if I should come to you speaking in tongues, what good will I do you if I do not speak to you by way of revelation, or knowledge, or prophecy, or instruction?
7 It is the same with an inanimate musical instrument. If it does not make any distinction between notes,how can one recognise what is being played on flute or lyre?	7 Likewise, if inanimate things that produce sound, such as flute or harp, do not give out the tones distinctly, how will what is being played on flute or harp be recognized?
8 If the trumpet sounds a cal which is unrecognisable, who is going to get ready for the attack?	8 And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle?
9 It is the same with you: if you do not use your tongue to produce speech that can be readilyunderstood, how can anyone know what you are saying? You will be talking to the air.	9 Similarly, if you, because of speaking in tongues, do not utter intelligible speech, how will anyone know what is being said? For you will be talking to the air.
10 However many the languages used in the world, al of them use sound;	10 It happens that there are many different languages in the world, and none is meaningless;
11 but if I do not understand the meaning of the sound, I am a barbarian to the person who is speaking,and the speaker is a barbarian to me.	11 but if I do not know the meaning of a language, I shall be a foreigner to one who speaks it, and one who speaks it a foreigner to me.
12 So with you, as you are eager to have spiritual powers, aim to be rich in those which build up thecommunity.	12 So with yourselves: since you strive eagerly for spirits, seek to have an abundance of them for building up the church.
13 That is why anybody who speaks in a tongue must pray that he may be given the interpretation.	13 Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray to be able to interpret.
14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit may be praying but my mind derives no fruit from it.	14 (For) if I pray in a tongue, my spirit is at prayer but my mind is unproductive.
15 What then? I shal pray with the spirit, but I shall pray with the mind as wel : I shall sing praises withthe spirit and I shal sing praises with the mind as well.	15 So what is to be done? I will pray with the spirit, but I will also pray with the mind. I will sing praise with the spirit, but I will also sing praise with the mind.
16 Otherwise, if you say your blessing only with the spirit, how is the uninitiated person going to answer'Amen' to your thanksgiving, without understanding what you are saying?	16 Otherwise, if you pronounce a blessing (with) the spirit, how shall one who holds the place of the uninstructed say the "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?
17 You may be making your thanksgiving wel , but the other person is not built up at al .	17 For you may be giving thanks very well, but the other is not built up.
18 I thank God that I speak with tongues more than any of you;	18 I give thanks to God that I speak in tongues more than any of you,
19 al the same, when I am in the assembly I would rather say five words with my mind, to instructothers as wel , than ten thousand words in a tongue.	19 but in the church I would rather speak five words with my mind, so as to instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
20 Brothers, do not remain children in your thinking; infants in wickedness-agreed, but in your thinkinggrown-ups.	20 Brothers, stop being childish in your thinking. In respect to evil be like infants, but in your thinking be mature.
21 It says in the written Law: In strange tongues and in a foreign language I wil talk to this nation, andeven so they will refuse to listen, says the Lord.	21 It is written in the law: "By people speaking strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, and even so they will not listen to me, says the Lord."
22 So then, strange languages are significant not for believers, but for unbelievers; whereas on theother hand, prophesying is not for unbelievers, but for believers.	22 Thus, tongues are a sign not for those who believe but for unbelievers, whereas prophecy is not for unbelievers but for those who believe.
23 Suppose that, if the whole congregation were meeting and al of them speaking in tongues, andsome uninitiated people or unbelievers were to come in, don't you think they would say that you were all raving?	23 So if the whole church meets in one place and everyone speaks in tongues, and then uninstructed people or unbelievers should come in, will they not say that you are out of your minds?
24 But if you were al prophesying when an unbeliever or someone uninitiated came in, he would findhimself put to the test by al and judged by al	24 But if everyone is prophesying, and an unbeliever or uninstructed person should come in, he will be convinced by everyone and judged by everyone,
25 and the secrets of his heart revealed; and so he would fal down on his face and worship God,declaring that God is indeed among you.	25 and the secrets of his heart will be disclosed, and so he will fall down and worship God, declaring, "God is really in your midst."
26 Then what should it be like, brothers? When you come together each of you brings a psalm or someinstruction or a revelation, or speaks in a tongue or gives an interpretation. Let al these things be done in a waythat wil build up the community.	26 So what is to be done, brothers? When you assemble, one has a psalm, another an instruction, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Everything should be done for building up.
27 If there are to be any people speaking in a tongue, then let there be only two, or at the most three,and those one at a time, and let one of these interpret.	27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, let it be two or at most three, and each in turn, and one should interpret.
28 If there is no interpreter, then let each of them be quiet in the assembly, and speak only to himselfand God.	28 But if there is no interpreter, the person should keep silent in the church and speak to himself and to God.
29 Let two prophets, or three, speak while the rest weigh their words;	29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others discern.
30 and if a revelation comes to someone else who is sitting by, the speaker should stop speaking.	30 But if a revelation is given to another person sitting there, the first one should be silent.
31 You can al prophesy, but one at a time, then al wil learn something and al receive encouragement.	31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged.
32 The prophetic spirit is to be under the prophets' control,	32 Indeed, the spirits of prophets are under the prophets' control,
33 for God is a God not of disorder but of peace. As in al the churches of God's holy people,	33 since he is not the God of disorder but of peace. As in all the churches of the holy ones,
34 women are to remain quiet in the assemblies, since they have no permission to speak: theirs is asubordinate part, as the Law itself says.	34 women should keep silent in the churches, for they are not allowed to speak, but should be subordinate, as even the law says.
35 If there is anything they want to know, they should ask their husbands at home: it is shameful for awoman to speak in the assembly.	35 But if they want to learn anything, they should ask their husbands at home. For it is improper for a woman to speak in the church.
36 Do you real y think that you are the source of the word of God? Or that you are the only people towhom it has come?	36 Did the word of God go forth from you? Or has it come to you alone?
37 Anyone who claims to be a prophet, or to have any spiritual powers must recognise that what I amwriting to you is a commandment from the Lord.	37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet or a spiritual person, he should recognize that what I am writing to you is a commandment of the Lord.
38 If anyone does not recognise this, it is because that person is not recognised himself.	38 If anyone does not acknowledge this, he is not acknowledged.
39 So, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not suppress the gift of speaking in tongues.	39 So, (my) brothers, strive eagerly to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues,
40 But make sure that everything is done in a proper and orderly fashion.	40 but everything must be done properly and in order.