1 Corinthians 14

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Prophecy and Tongues

¹Διώκετε τὴν ἀγάπην ζηλοῦτε δὲ τὰ πνευματικά μᾶλλον δὲ ἵνα προφητεύητε

¹Earnestly pursue love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.

²ὁ γὰρ λαλῶν γλώσσῃ οὐκ ἀνθρώποις λαλεῖ ἀλλὰ Θεῷ οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἀκούει πνεύματι δὲ λαλεῖ μυστήρια

²For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries in the Spirit.

³ὁ δὲ προφητεύων ἀνθρώποις λαλεῖ οἰκοδομὴν καὶ παράκλησιν καὶ παραμυθίαν

³But he who prophesies speaks to men for their edification, encouragement, and comfort.

⁴ὁ λαλῶν γλώσσῃ ἑαυτὸν οἰκοδομεῖ ὁ δὲ προφητεύων ἐκκλησίαν οἰκοδομεῖ

⁴The one who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.

⁵Θέλω δὲ πάντας ὑμᾶς λαλεῖν γλώσσαις μᾶλλον δὲ ἵνα προφητεύητε μείζων δὲ ὁ προφητεύων ἢ ὁ λαλῶν γλώσσαις ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ διερμηνεύῃ ἵνα ἡ ἐκκλησία οἰκοδομὴν λάβῃ

⁵I wish that all of you could speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets so that the church may be edified.

⁶Νῦν δέ ἀδελφοί ἐὰν ἔλθω πρὸς ὑμᾶς γλώσσαις λαλῶν τί ὑμᾶς ὠφελήσω ἐὰν μὴ ὑμῖν λαλήσω ἢ ἐν ἀποκαλύψει ἢ ἐν γνώσει ἢ ἐν προφητείᾳ ἢ ἐν διδαχῇ

⁶Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?

⁷ὅμως τὰ ἄψυχα φωνὴν διδόντα εἴτε αὐλὸς εἴτε κιθάρα ἐὰν διαστολὴν τοῖς φθόγγοις μὴ δῷ πῶς γνωσθήσεται τὸ αὐλούμενον ἢ τὸ κιθαριζόμενον

⁷Even in the case of lifeless instruments, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone recognize the tune they are playing unless the notes are distinct?

⁸Καὶ γὰρ ἐὰν ἄδηλον σάλπιγξ φωνὴν δῷ τίς παρασκευάσεται εἰς πόλεμον

⁸Again, if the trumpet sounds a muffled call, who will prepare for battle?

⁹οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς διὰ τῆς γλώσσης ἐὰν μὴ εὔσημον λόγον δῶτε πῶς γνωσθήσεται τὸ λαλούμενον ἔσεσθε γὰρ εἰς ἀέρα λαλοῦντες

⁹So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air.

¹⁰Τοσαῦτα εἰ τύχοι γένη φωνῶν εἰσιν ἐν κόσμῳ καὶ οὐδὲν ἄφωνον

¹⁰Assuredly, there are many different languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning.

¹¹ἐὰν οὖν μὴ εἰδῶ τὴν δύναμιν τῆς φωνῆς ἔσομαι τῷ λαλοῦντι βάρβαρος καὶ ὁ λαλῶν ἐν ἐμοὶ βάρβαρος

¹¹If, then, I do not know the meaning of someone’s language, I am a foreigner^a to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me.

¹²Οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐπεὶ ζηλωταί ἐστε πνευμάτων πρὸς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τῆς ἐκκλησίας ζητεῖτε ἵνα περισσεύητε

¹²It is the same with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, strive to excel in gifts that build up the church.

¹³Διὸ ὁ λαλῶν γλώσσῃ προσευχέσθω ἵνα διερμηνεύῃ

¹³Therefore, the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret.

¹⁴ἐὰν γὰρ προσεύχωμαι γλώσσῃ τὸ πνεῦμά μου προσεύχεται ὁ δὲ νοῦς μου ἄκαρπός ἐστιν

¹⁴For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.

¹⁵Τί οὖν ἐστιν προσεύξομαι τῷ πνεύματι προσεύξομαι δὲ καὶ τῷ νοΐ ψαλῶ τῷ πνεύματι ψαλῶ δὲ καὶ τῷ νοΐ

¹⁵What then shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.

¹⁶ἐπεὶ ἐὰν εὐλογῇς ἐν πνεύματι ὁ ἀναπληρῶν τὸν τόπον τοῦ ἰδιώτου πῶς ἐρεῖ τὸ Ἀμήν ἐπὶ τῇ σῇ εὐχαριστίᾳ ἐπειδὴ τί λέγεις οὐκ οἶδεν

¹⁶Otherwise, if you speak a blessing in spirit,^a how can someone who is uninstructed say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?

¹⁷σὺ μὲν γὰρ καλῶς εὐχαριστεῖς ἀλλ’ ὁ ἕτερος οὐκ οἰκοδομεῖται

¹⁷You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other one is not edified.

¹⁸Εὐχαριστῶ τῷ Θεῷ πάντων ὑμῶν μᾶλλον γλώσσαις λαλῶ

¹⁸I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.

¹⁹ἀλλὰ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ θέλω πέντε λόγους τῷ νοΐ μου λαλῆσαι ἵνα καὶ ἄλλους κατηχήσω ἢ μυρίους λόγους ἐν γλώσσῃ

¹⁹But in the church, I would rather speak five coherent words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.

²⁰Ἀδελφοί μὴ παιδία γίνεσθε ταῖς φρεσίν ἀλλὰ τῇ κακίᾳ νηπιάζετε ταῖς δὲ φρεσὶν τέλειοι γίνεσθε

²⁰Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.

²¹ἐν τῷ νόμῳ γέγραπται ὅτι Ἐν ἑτερογλώσσοις καὶ ἐν χείλεσιν ἑτέρων λαλήσω τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ καὶ οὐδ’ οὕτως εἰσακούσονταί μου λέγει Κύριος

²¹It is written in the Law:

“By strange tongues and foreign lips

I will speak to this people,

but even then they will not listen to Me,

says the Lord.”^a

²²Ὥστε αἱ γλῶσσαι εἰς σημεῖόν εἰσιν οὐ τοῖς πιστεύουσιν ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀπίστοις ἡ δὲ προφητεία οὐ τοῖς ἀπίστοις ἀλλὰ τοῖς πιστεύουσιν

²²Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers.

²³Ἐὰν οὖν συνέλθῃ ἡ ἐκκλησία ὅλη ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ πάντες λαλῶσιν γλώσσαις εἰσέλθωσιν δὲ ἰδιῶται ἢ ἄπιστοι οὐκ ἐροῦσιν ὅτι μαίνεσθε

²³So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who are uninstructed or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your minds?

²⁴ἐὰν δὲ πάντες προφητεύωσιν εἰσέλθῃ δέ τις ἄπιστος ἢ ἰδιώτης ἐλέγχεται ὑπὸ πάντων ἀνακρίνεται ὑπὸ πάντων

²⁴But if an unbeliever or uninstructed person comes in while everyone is prophesying, he will be convicted and called to account by all,

²⁵τὰ κρυπτὰ τῆς καρδίας αὐτοῦ φανερὰ γίνεται καὶ οὕτως πεσὼν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον προσκυνήσει τῷ Θεῷ ἀπαγγέλλων ὅτι Ὄντως ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ὑμῖν ἐστιν

²⁵and the secrets of his heart will be made known. So he will fall facedown and worship God, proclaiming, “God is truly among you!”

Orderly Worship

²⁶Τί οὖν ἐστιν ἀδελφοί ὅταν συνέρχησθε ἕκαστος ψαλμὸν ἔχει διδαχὴν ἔχει ἀποκάλυψιν ἔχει γλῶσσαν ἔχει ἑρμηνείαν ἔχει πάντα πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν γινέσθω

²⁶What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a psalm or a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All of these must be done to build up the church.

²⁷Εἴτε γλώσσῃ τις λαλεῖ κατὰ δύο ἢ τὸ πλεῖστον τρεῖς καὶ ἀνὰ μέρος καὶ εἷς διερμηνευέτω

²⁷If anyone speaks in a tongue, two, or at most three, should speak in turn, and someone must interpret.

²⁸ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ᾖ διερμηνευτής σιγάτω ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ ἑαυτῷ δὲ λαλείτω καὶ τῷ Θεῷ

²⁸But if there is no interpreter, he should remain silent in the church and speak only to himself and God.

²⁹Προφῆται δὲ δύο ἢ τρεῖς λαλείτωσαν καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι διακρινέτωσαν

²⁹Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.

³⁰ἐὰν δὲ ἄλλῳ ἀποκαλυφθῇ καθημένῳ ὁ πρῶτος σιγάτω

³⁰And if a revelation comes to someone who is seated, the first speaker should stop.

³¹δύνασθε γὰρ καθ’ ἕνα πάντες προφητεύειν ἵνα πάντες μανθάνωσιν καὶ πάντες παρακαλῶνται

³¹For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.

³²καὶ πνεύματα προφητῶν προφήταις ὑποτάσσεται

³²The spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.

³³οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἀκαταστασίας ὁ Θεὸς ἀλλὰ εἰρήνης Ὡς ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τῶν ἁγίων

³³For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace—as in all the churches of the saints.^a

³⁴αἱ γυναῖκες ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις σιγάτωσαν οὐ γὰρ ἐπιτρέπεται αὐταῖς λαλεῖν ἀλλὰ ὑποτασσέσθωσαν καθὼς καὶ ὁ νόμος λέγει

³⁴Women are to be silent in the churches. They are not permitted to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says.

³⁵εἰ δέ τι μαθεῖν θέλουσιν ἐν οἴκῳ τοὺς ἰδίους ἄνδρας ἐπερωτάτωσαν αἰσχρὸν γάρ ἐστιν γυναικὶ λαλεῖν ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ

³⁵If they wish to inquire about something, they are to ask their own husbands at home; for it is dishonorable for a woman to speak in the church.^a

³⁶Ἢ ἀφ’ ὑμῶν ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐξῆλθεν ἢ εἰς ὑμᾶς μόνους κατήντησεν

³⁶Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only ones it has reached?

³⁷Εἴ τις δοκεῖ προφήτης εἶναι ἢ πνευματικός ἐπιγινωσκέτω ἃ γράφω ὑμῖν ὅτι Κυρίου ἐστὶν ἐντολή

³⁷If anyone considers himself a prophet or spiritual person, let him acknowledge that what I am writing you is the Lord’s command.

³⁸εἰ δέ τις ἀγνοεῖ ἀγνοεῖται

³⁸But if anyone ignores this, he himself will be ignored.^a

³⁹Ὥστε ἀδελφοί μου ζηλοῦτε τὸ προφητεύειν καὶ τὸ λαλεῖν μὴ κωλύετε γλώσσαις

³⁹So, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.

⁴⁰πάντα δὲ εὐσχημόνως καὶ κατὰ τάξιν γινέσθω

⁴⁰But everything must be done in a proper and orderly manner.