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Pursue love, and earnestly seek the spiritual things, and rather that you may prophesy,
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for he who is speaking in an [unknown] tongue—he does not speak to men, but to God, for no one listens, and he speaks secrets in spirit;
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and he who is prophesying to men speaks edification, and exhortation, and comfort;
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he who is speaking in an [unknown] tongue, edifies himself, and he who is prophesying, edifies the Assembly;
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and I wish you all to speak with tongues, and more that you may prophesy, for greater is he who is prophesying than he who is speaking with tongues, except one may interpret, that the Assembly may receive edification.
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And now, brothers, if I may come to you speaking tongues, what will I profit you, except I will speak to you either in revelation, or in knowledge, or in prophesying, or in teaching?
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Yet the things without life giving sound—whether pipe or harp—if they may not give a difference in the sounds, how will be known that which is piped or that which is harped?
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For also, if a trumpet may give an uncertain sound, who will prepare himself for battle?
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So also you, if you may not give speech easily understood through the tongue—how will that which is spoken be known? For you will be speaking to air.
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There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is unmeaning.
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If, then, I do not know the power of the voice, I will be a foreigner to him who is speaking, and he who is speaking is a foreigner to me;
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so you also, since you are earnestly desirous of spiritual gifts, seek for the building up of the Assembly that you may abound;
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for this reason he who is speaking in an [unknown] tongue—let him pray that he may interpret;
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for if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit prays, and my understanding is unfruitful.
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What then is it? I will pray [in] the spirit, and I will also pray [with] understanding; I will sing psalms [in] the spirit, and I will also sing psalms [with] understanding;
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since, if you may bless in spirit, he who is filling the place of the commoner, how will he say the Amen at your giving of thanks, since he has not known what you say?
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For you, indeed, give thanks well, but the other is not built up!
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I give thanks to my God—more than you all with tongues speaking—
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but I wish to speak five words in an assembly through my understanding, that I also may instruct others, rather than myriads of words in an [unknown] tongue.
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Brothers, do not become children in the understanding, but in the evil be children, and in the understanding become perfect;
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in the Law it has been written, that, “With other tongues and with other lips I will speak to this people, and even so they will not hear Me, says the LORD”;
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so that the tongues are for a sign, not to the believing, but to the unbelieving; and the prophecy [is] not for the unbelieving, but for the believing.
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If, therefore, the whole assembly may come together to the same place, and all may speak with tongues, and there may come in commoners or unbelievers, will they not say that you are mad?
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And if all may prophesy, and anyone may come in, an unbeliever or commoner, he is convicted by all, he is discerned by all,
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and so the secrets of his heart become visible, and so having fallen on [his] face, he will worship God, declaring that God really is among you.
Orderly Worship
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What then is it, brothers? Whenever you may come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be for building up;
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if anyone speaks an [unknown] tongue, by two, or at the most, by three, and in turn, and let one interpret;
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and if there may be no interpreter, let him be silent in an assembly, and let him speak to himself, and to God.
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And prophets—let two or three speak, and let the others discern,
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and if [anything] may be revealed to another [who is] sitting, let the first be silent;
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for you are able, one by one, all to prophesy, that all may learn, and all may be exhorted,
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and the spiritual gift of prophets are subject to prophets,
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for God is not [a God] of tumult, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the holy ones.
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Your women, let them be silent in the assemblies, for it has not been permitted to them to speak, but to be subject, as the Law also says;
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and if they wish to learn anything, let them question their own husbands at home, for it is a shame to women to speak in an assembly.
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Did the word of God come forth from you? Or did it come to you alone?
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If anyone thinks to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge the things that I write to you—that they are commands of the LORD;
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and if anyone is ignorant—let him be ignorant;
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so that, brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues;
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let all things be done decently and in order.
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