¹⁸I give thanks to my God—more than you all with tongues speaking— 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. ²⁰Brethren, become not children in the understanding, but in the evil be ye babes, and in the understanding become ye perfect.

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;’ 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, 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? 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, 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.

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; ²⁷if an unknown tongue any one do speak, by two, or at the most, by three, and in turn, and let one interpret; ²⁸and if there may be no interpreter, let him be silent in an assembly, and to himself let him speak, and to God. ²⁹And prophets—let two or three speak, and let the others discern, ³⁰and if to another sitting anything may be revealed, let the first be silent; ³¹for ye are able, one by one, all to prophesy, that all may learn, and all may be exhorted, ³²and the spiritual gift of prophets to prophets are subject, ³³for God is not a God of tumult, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints.

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; 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.

³⁶From you did the word of God come forth? or to you alone did it come? 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; ³⁸and if any one is ignorant—let him be ignorant; ³⁹so that, brethren, earnestly desire to prophesy, and to speak with tongues do not forbid; ⁴⁰let all things be done decently and in order.

Chapter 15

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