1Cor 13:2-14:40 | ESV | STEP | And if I have prophetic powers , and understand all mysteries and all knowledge , and if I have all faith , so as to remove mountains , but have not love , I am nothing .

2 And if I have ^aprophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, ^bso as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 ^cIf I give away all I have, and ^dif I deliver up my body to be burned, ^{▼▼Some manuscripts deliver up my body [to death] that I may boast} but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 ^fLove is patient and ^gkind; love ^hdoes not envy or boast; it ⁱis not arrogant 5 or rude. It ^jdoes not insist on its own way; it ^kis not irritable or resentful; ^{▼▼Greek irritable and does not count up wrongdoing} 6 it ^mdoes not rejoice at wrongdoing, but ⁿrejoices with the truth. 7 ^oLove bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, ^pendures all things.

8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For ^qwe know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but ^rwhen the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For ^snow we see in a mirror dimly, but ^tthen face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as ^uI have been fully known.

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 14

Prophecy and Tongues

1 ^vPursue love, and ^wearnestly desire the ^xspiritual gifts, especially that you may ^yprophesy. 2 For ^zone who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 3 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. 4 The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 5 Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but ^aaeven 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.

6 Now, brothers, ^{▼▼Or brothers and sisters; also verses 20, 26, 39} if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some ^acrevelation or knowledge or prophecy or ^adteaching? 7 If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? 8 And ^aeif the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? 9 So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be ^afspeaking into the air. 10 There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, 11 but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be ^aga foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. 12 So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.

13 Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; ^ahI will sing praise with my spirit, but I will ^aising with my mind also. 16 Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider ^{▼▼Or of him that is without gifts} say ^ak“Amen” to ^alyour thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. 18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

20 Brothers, ^amdo not be children in your thinking. ^anBe infants in evil, but in your thinking be ^aomature. 21 ^apIn the Law it is written, ^aq“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.” 22 Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign ^{▼▼Greek lacks a sign} not for unbelievers but for believers. 23 If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, ^aswill they not say that you are out of your minds? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 ^atthe secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, ^aufalling on his face, he will worship God and ^avdeclare that God is really among you.

Orderly Worship

26 What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has ^awa hymn, ^axa lesson, ^aya revelation, ^aza tongue, or ^baan interpretation. ^bbLet all things be done for building up. 27 If any speak in ^bca tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28 But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others ^bdweigh what is said. 30 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, ^belet the first be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. 33 For God is not a God of ^bfconfusion but of peace.

As in ^bgall the churches of the saints, 34 ^bhthe women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but ^bishould be in submission, as ^bjthe Law also says. 35 If 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.

36 Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? 37 ^bkIf 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. 38 If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. 39 So, my brothers, ^blearnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 ^bmBut all things should be done decently and ^bnin order.