The Bible in Basic English BBE
Orthodox Jewish Bible OJB
1 Go after love; still desiring to have the things which the Spirit gives, but most of all that you may have the prophet's power.
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4 Pursue ahavah (agape), and eagerly desire the things of the Ruach Hakodesh (matanot HaRuach Hakodesh), and especially that you may speak forth a dvar hanevu’ah (word of prophecy).
2 For he who makes use of tongues is not talking to men but to God; because no one has the sense of what he is saying; but in the Spirit he is talking of secret things.
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For the one speaking in a lashon (tongue) speaks not to Bnei Adam but to Hashem; for no one grasps with their ears, but the speaker by the Ruach Hakodesh speaks sodot (mysteries).
3 But the word of the prophet gives men knowledge and comfort and strength.
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However, the one speaking forth divrei nevu’ah (words of prophecy) speaks to Bnei Adam for chizzuk (strengthening) and musar encouragement and nechamah (comfort).
4 He who makes use of tongues may do good to himself; but he who gives the prophet's word does good to the church.
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The one speaking in a lashon (tongue) edifies himself; but, the one speaking forth a dvar hanevu’ah (word of prophecy) edifies kehillah.
5 Now though it is my desire for you all to have the power of tongues, it would give me more pleasure to be hearing the prophet's word from you; for this is a greater thing than using tongues, if the sense is not given at the same time, for the good of the church.
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Now I desire all of you to speak in leshonot (tongues), and even more that you may speak forth a dvar hanevu’ah (word of prophecy) (BAMIDBAR 11:29). Now greater is the one speaking forth a dvar nevu’ah (word of prophecy) than the one speaking in leshonot, unless he gives the pitron (interpretation) of the leshonot (tongues), that the kehillah (congregation) may receive the edification.
6 But, now, my brothers, if I come to you using tongues, what profit will it be to you, if I do not give you a revelation, or knowledge, or the word of the prophet, or teaching?
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But now, Achim b’Moshiach, if I come to you speaking in leshonot (tongues), what will I benefit you unless I speak to you either with a dvar hisgalus (a word of revelation) or with a dvar da’as or with a dvar nevu’ah or with a dvar hora’ah (word of teaching)?
7 Even things without life, having a voice, such as a music-pipe or other instrument, if they do not give out different sounds, who may be certain what is being played?
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So even lifeless things, like the flute or harp, if they do not articulate a distinction in the notes, how will it be known what is being played on the flute or on the harp?
8 For if the war-horn gives out an uncertain note, who will get ready for the fight?
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Indeed, if a shofar gives an unclear trumpet call, who will prepare himself for krav (battle)? [BAMIDBAR 10:9; YIRMEYAH 4:19]
9 So if you, in using a strange tongue, say words which have no sense, how will anyone take in what you are saying? for you will be talking to the air.
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So also unless you by your lashon (tongue) render an intelligible dvar Torah, how will the thing being uttered be known? For you will be merely speaking into the air.
10 There are, it may be, a number of different voices in the world, and no voice is without sense.
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There are doubtless many kinds of foreign languages in the Olam Hazeh, and not one is meaningless.
11 But if the sense of the voice is not clear to me, I am like a man from a strange country to him who is talking, and he will be the same to me.
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If, therefore, I do not have da’as of the meaning of the language, I will be to the speaker a foreigner and the speaker will be a foreigner to me. [BERESHIS 11:7]
12 So if you are desiring the things which the Spirit gives, let your minds be turned first to the things which are for the good of the church.
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So also you, als (since) you have a zeal for the matanot of the Ruach Hakodesh, endeavor to abound in them for the edification of the Kehillah (Congregation).
13 For this reason, let the man who has the power of using tongues make request that he may, at the same time, be able to give the sense.
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Therefore, the speaker in a lashon (tongue), let him offer tefillos that he may give the pitron (interpretation).
14 For if I make use of tongues in my prayers, my spirit makes the prayer, but not my mind.
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For if I daven (pray) in a lashon, my nashamah davens, but my sikhliyut (rationality) lies shemitah (fallow).
15 What then? let my prayer be from the spirit, and equally from the mind; let my song be from the spirit, and equally from mind.
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Nu? (Well?) I will daven [in leshonot] with my nashamah, and I will daven also with my seichel; I will sing [in leshonot] with my nashamah, and I will sing niggunim also with my seichel.
16 For if you give a blessing with the spirit, how will the man who has no knowledge say, So be it, after your prayer, seeing that he has not taken in what you are saying?
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Otherwise, if you make a bracha [in leshonot] with your neshamah, how will the am ha’aretz, who have no idea what you are saying, answer the "Omein"? [DEVARIM 27:15:26; DIVREY HAYAMIM ALEF 16:36; NECHEMYAH 8:6; TEHILLIM 106:48]
17 For your giving of the blessing is certainly well done, but of no profit to the man without knowledge.
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For indeed you make the bracha well enough, but the other is not being edified.
18 I give praise to God that I am able to make use of tongues more than you all:
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Modeh Ani Hashem that I speak in leshonot more than all of you,
19 But in the church it would be better for me to make use of five words of which the sense was clear, so that others might have profit, than ten thousand words in a strange tongue.
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but in kehillah I want to speak five words with my sikhliyut (rationality), that also others I may instruct with a dvar hora’ah (word of teaching), rather than speak ten thousand words in a lashon (tongue).
20 My brothers, do not be children in mind: in evil be as little children, but in mind be of full growth.
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Achim b’Moshiach, be not yeladim in your machsh’vot (thoughts); be infantile in kavvanah ra’ah (malice), perhaps, but in your binah, be mature. [YIRMEYAH 4:22]
21 In the law it is said, By men of other tongues and by strange lips will my words come to this people; and not even so will they give ear to me, says the Lord.
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In the Torah it stands written, KI BELA’AGEI SAFAH UVELASHON ACHERET YEDABER EL HAAM HAZEH...V’LO AVU SHMO’A ("Then with ones of foreign lip and with strange tongue he will speak to this people... but they were not willing to listen"?YESHAYAH 28:11-12), says the L-rd.
22 For this reason tongues are for a sign, not to those who have faith, but to those who have not: but the prophet's word is for those who have faith, and not for the rest who have not.
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So then the leshonot (tongues) are for an ot (miraculous sign), not to the ones believing, the ma’aminim in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, but an ot (miraculous sign) to the Apikorosim; but divrei hanevu’ah (words of prophecy) are not for the Apikorosim, but for the ones believing, the ma’aminim in Moshiach.
23 If, then, the church has come together, and all are using tongues, and there come in men without knowledge or faith, will they not say that you are unbalanced?
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If, therefore, the kehillah has a farbrengen gathering and all speak in leshonot (tongues), and then in walks the am ha’aretz or the Apikorosim, will they not say that you are all meshuggah?
24 But if all are teaching as prophets, and a man without faith or knowledge comes in, he is tested by all, he is judged by all;
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However, if all speak forth divrei hanevu’ah (words of prophecy), and then in walks some Apikorosim or am ha’aretz, such a visitor is brought under conviction by all, he is brought into mishpat (judgment) by all,
25 The secrets of his heart are made clear; and he will go down on his face and give worship to God, saying that God is truly among you.
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What is hiding in his lev (heart) becomes manifest, and, having fallen on his face, he worships Hashem, declaring that G-d is among you (Zech 8:23; Isa 45:14; Dan 2:47).
26 What is it then, my brothers? when you come together everyone has a holy song, or a revelation, or a tongue, or is giving the sense of it. Let everything be done for the common good.
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Nu? Well? Achim b’Moshiach, when you come together, each one has a mizmor (hymn, psalm), a musar (teaching with an ethical point), a dvar hisgalus (a dvar of revelation), a lashon (tongue), or a pitron (interpretation) of a lashon (tongue); let all things be for edification.
27 If any man makes use of a tongue, let it not be more than two, or at the most three, and in turn; and let someone give the sense:
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If anyone speaks in a lashon (tongue), let the speakers be shenayim (two) or at most shloshah (three), and by turn, and let one give the pitron (interpretation).
28 But if there is no one to give the sense, let him keep quiet in the church; and let his words be to himself and to God.
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But if there is no one to give the pitron, let the one with the lashon (tongue) be silent in the kehillah and let him instead speak to himself and to Hashem.
29 And let the prophets give their words, but not more than two or three, and let the others be judges of what they say.
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And let shenayim or shloshah nevi’im speak and let the other nevi’im be used with discernings of ruchot (spirits) (12:10).
30 But if a revelation is given to another who is seated near, let the first be quiet.
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And if a dvar hisgalus (a word of revelation) is given to a navi sitting by, let the first navi become silent.
31 For you may all be prophets in turn so that all may get knowledge and comfort;
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For you all are able one by one to speak forth a dvar hanevu’ah (word of prophecy), in order that all may learn and receive chizzuk (strengthening).
32 And the spirits of the prophets are controlled by the prophets;
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And the neshamot of nevi’im are subject to the nevi’im.
33 For God is not a God whose ways are without order, but a God of peace; as in all the churches of the saints.
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For Hashem is no Elohei HaMevucha (the G-d of Confusion, Tohu); He is Elohei HaShalom, and this is so in all the kehillot of the Kadoshim.
34 Let women keep quiet in the churches: for it is not right for them to be talking; but let them be under control, as it says in the law.
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Let the nashim in the kehillot be silent, for it is not permitted for them to blurt out, but let them become submissive, as it says in the Torah (BERESHIS 3:16).
35 And if they have a desire for knowledge about anything, let them put questions to their husbands privately: for talking in the church puts shame on a woman.
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And if the nashim wish to inquire about something, let them inquire of their own be’alim b’bayis, for it is a bushah (shame) for an isha to blurt out in the kehillah (BERESHIS 3:2).
36 What? was it from you that the word of God went out? or did it only come in to you?
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Or from you did the dvar Hashem go forth (YESHAYAH 2:3), or to you only did it reach?
37 If any man seems to himself to be a prophet or to have the Spirit, let him take note of the things which I am writing to you, as being the word of the Lord.
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If anyone thinks himself to be a navi or a man of the Ruach Hakodesh (2:13), let him have full da’as that the things I wrote to you are a mitzvoh of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu.
38 But if any man is without knowledge, let him be so.
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But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.
39 So then, my brothers, let it be your chief desire to be prophets; but let no one be stopped from using tongues.
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So then, Achim b’Moshiach of mine, earnestly desire to speak forth a dvar hanevu’ah (word of prophecy), and do not forbid speaking in leshonot (tongues).
40 Let all things be done in the right and ordered way.
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Let all things be done b’seder and without bushah (shame).
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The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.