1 Corinthians 14 :: Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

Prophecy a Superior Gift

1Co 14:1Pursue the love, and seek earnestly the spiritual things, and rather that ye may prophecy,

1Co 14:2for 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;

1Co 14:3

1Co 14:3and he who is prophesying to men doth speak edification, and exhortation, and comfort;

1Co 14:4

1Co 14:4he who is speaking in an unknown tongue, himself doth edify, and he who is prophesying, an assembly doth edify;

1Co 14:5

1Co 14:5and 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.

1Co 14:6

1Co 14:6And 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?

1Co 14:7

1Co 14:7yet 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?

1Co 14:8

1Co 14:8for if also an uncertain sound a trumpet may give, who shall prepare himself for battle?

1Co 14:9

1Co 14:9so 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.

1Co 14:10

1Co 14:10There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is unmeaning,

1Co 14:11

1Co 14:11if, 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;

1Co 14:12

1Co 14:12so also ye, since ye are earnestly desirous of spiritual gifts, for the building up of the assembly seek that ye may abound;

1Co 14:13

1Co 14:13wherefore he who is speaking in an unknown tongue -- let him pray that he may interpret;

1Co 14:14

1Co 14:14for if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit doth pray, and my understanding is unfruitful.

1Co 14:15

1Co 14:15What 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;

1Co 14:16

1Co 14:16since, 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?

1Co 14:17

1Co 14:17for thou, indeed, dost give thanks well, but the other is not built up!

1Co 14:18

1Co 14:18I give thanks to my God -- more than you all with tongues speaking --

1Co 14:19

1Co 14:19but 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.

Instruction for the Church

1Co 14:20

1Co 14:20Brethren, become not children in the understanding, but in the evil be ye babes, and in the understanding become ye perfect;

1Co 14:21

1Co 14:21in 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;'

1Co 14:22

1Co 14:22so 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,

1Co 14:23

1Co 14:23If, 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?

1Co 14:24

1Co 14:24and if all may prophecy, and any one may come in, an unbeliever or unlearned, he is convicted by all, he is discerned by all,

1Co 14:25

1Co 14:25and 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.

1Co 14:26

1Co 14:26What 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;

1Co 14:27

1Co 14:27if an unknown tongue any one do speak, by two, or at the most, by three, and in turn, and let one interpret;

1Co 14:28

1Co 14:28and if there may be no interpreter, let him be silent in an assembly, and to himself let him speak, and to God.

1Co 14:29

1Co 14:29And prophets -- let two or three speak, and let the others discern,

1Co 14:30

1Co 14:30and if to another sitting anything may be revealed, let the first be silent;

1Co 14:31

1Co 14:31for ye are able, one by one, all to prophesy, that all may learn, and all may be exhorted,

1Co 14:32

1Co 14:32and the spiritual gift of prophets to prophets are subject,

1Co 14:33

1Co 14:33for God is not a God of tumult, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints.

1Co 14:34

1Co 14:34Your 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;

1Co 14:35

1Co 14:35and 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.

1Co 14:36

1Co 14:36From you did the word of God come forth? or to you alone did it come?

1Co 14:37

1Co 14:37if 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;

1Co 14:38

1Co 14:38and if any one is ignorant -- let him be ignorant;

1Co 14:39

1Co 14:39so that, brethren, earnestly desire to prophesy, and to speak with tongues do not forbid;

1Co 14:40

1Co 14:40let all things be done decently and in order.

The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.

1 Corinthians 14 :: Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

Prophecy a Superior Gift

Instruction for the Church

Pericope