English Standard Version

Greek Study Bible

1Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

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

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

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

3On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.

3ὁ δὲ προφητεύων ἀνθρώποις λαλεῖ οἰκοδομὴν καὶ παράκλησιν καὶ παραμυθίαν

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

4ὁ λαλῶν γλώσσῃ ἑαυτὸν οἰκοδομεῖ ὁ δὲ προφητεύων ἐκκλησίαν οἰκοδομεῖ

5Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.

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

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?

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

7If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played?

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

8And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle?

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

9So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air.

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

10There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning,

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

11but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me.

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

12So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.

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

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

13Διὸ ὁ λαλῶν γλώσσῃ προσευχέσθω ἵνα διερμηνεύῃ

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

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

15What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.

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

16Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying?

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

17For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up.

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

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

18Εὐχαριστῶ τῷ Θεῷ πάντων ὑμῶν μᾶλλον γλώσσαις λαλῶ

19Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

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

20Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.

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

21In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.”

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

22Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.

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

23If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds?

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

24But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all,

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

25the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.

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

26What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.

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

27If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret.

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

28But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God.

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

29Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.

29Προφῆται δὲ δύο ἢ τρεῖς λαλείτωσαν καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι διακρινέτωσαν

30If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent.

30ἐὰν δὲ ἄλλῳ ἀποκαλυφθῇ καθημένῳ ὁ πρῶτος σιγάτω

31For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged,

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

32and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.

32καὶ πνεύματα προφητῶν προφήταις ὑποτάσσεται

33For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,

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

34the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says.

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

35If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.

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

36Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached?

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

37If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord.

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

38If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.

38εἰ δέ τις ἀγνοεῖ ἀγνοεῖται

39So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.

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

40But all things should be done decently and in order.

40πάντα δὲ εὐσχημόνως καὶ κατὰ τάξιν γινέσθω

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Greek and Hebrew Study Bible courtesy Bible Hub and the Discovery Bible team.