1 Corinthians 14:13–25

13 Therefore the person who speaks in a tongue should pray that he can interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spiritg prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.h 15 What then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with my understanding. I will sing praise with the spirit, and I will also sing praise with my understanding. 16 Otherwise, if you praise with the spirit,A how will the outsiderB say “Amen”i at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may very well be giving thanks, but the other person is not being built up. 18 I thankj God that I speak in tongues more than all of you; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five wordsk with my understanding, in order to teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

20 Brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your thinking, but be infants in regard to evil and adult in your thinking.l 21 It is written in the law,

I will speak to this people

by people of other tongues

and by the lips of foreigners,

and even then, they will not listen to me,C,m

says the Lord. 22 Speaking in tongues, then, is intended as a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is not for unbelievers but for believers. 23 If, therefore, the whole church assembles together and all are speaking in tongues and people who are outsiders or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your minds? 24 But if all are prophesying and some unbeliever or outsider comes in, he is convicted by all and is called to account by all. 25 The secrets of his heart will be revealed, and as a result he will fall facedown and worship God, proclaiming, “God is really among you.”n