1 Corinthians 14:5–19

⁵I wish all of you spoke in tongues, but even more that you prophesied. The person who prophesies is greater than the person who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets so that the church may be built up.

⁶So now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you with a revelation^b or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? ⁷Even lifeless instruments that produce sounds—whether flute or harp^c—if they don’t make a distinction in the notes, how will what is played on the flute or harp be recognized? ⁸In fact, if the bugle makes an unclear sound, who will prepare for battle?^{d 9}In the same way, unless you use your tongue for intelligible speech, how will what is spoken be known? For you will be speaking into the air. ¹⁰There are doubtless many different kinds of languages in the world, none is without meaning. ¹¹Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner^G to the speaker, and the speaker will be a foreigner to me. ¹²So also you—since you are zealous^e for spiritual gifts,^Hf seek to excel in building up the church.

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