8. For if the trumpet makes an unclear sound, who will prepare himself for battle?
9. So also with you with your tongue—unless you utter speech that is intelligible, how will what is spoken be understood? For you will be talking to the wind!
10. It may be that there are many kinds of languages in the world—and none without meaning.
11. If then I do not understand the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker will be a foreigner to me.
12. Likewise with you—since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, keep trying to excel for the building up of the community.
13. Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.
14. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.
15. What is it then? I will pray in my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing praises with my spirit, and I will also sing praises with my mind.
16. Otherwise if you give thanks and praise in the spirit, how will one filling the place of the ungifted say the “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he has no idea what you’re saying?
17. For you certainly give thanks well, but the other person is not built up.
18. I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.
19. However, in Messiah’s community I would rather speak five words with my mind, so I may also instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
20. Brothers and sisters, stop being children in your thinking—rather, be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.
21. In the Prophets it is written, “By those with strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people. And not even then will they listen to me,” says Adonai.
22. Therefore tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers—but prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.
23. So if Messiah’s whole community comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and uninstructed or unbelieving people come in, won’t they say that you are crazy?
24. But if all are prophesying and some unbelieving or ungifted person comes in, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all.
25. The secrets of his heart become known, and so he will fall down on his face and worship God, declaring, “God really is among you!”
26. What is it then, brothers and sisters? Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.