First Corinthians (9-16) for the ALT Bible

Third Edition

The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians

Sample passage from chapters 9-16

The full text of the ALT is available in hardcopy and eBook formats.
Click here for details.

1Corinthians 14

¹Be pursuing love, yet be seeking earnestly the spiritual [gifts], but rather that you* shall be prophesying. ²For the one speaking in a tongue does not speak to people but to God, for no one understands [him], but in [his] spirit [or, by [the] Spirit] he speaks secrets [or, mysteries]. ³But the one prophesying to people speaks edification and exhortation [or, encouragement] and comfort. ⁴The one speaking in a tongue edifies himself, but the one prophesying edifies [the] assembly. ⁵Now I want you* all to be speaking with tongues, but more that you* shall be prophesying. For the one prophesying [is] greater than the one speaking with tongues, unless he interprets [or, translates], so that the assembly receives edification.

⁶But now, brothers [and sisters], if I come to you* speaking with tongues, what will I benefit you*, unless I speak to you* either with a revelation or with knowledge or with prophesy or with teaching? ⁷Likewise, the lifeless [instruments] give a sound, whether flute or harp. If it is not giving a difference in the sounds, how will the [music] played on a flute or the [music] played on a harp be known [or, be distinguished]? ⁸For if a trumpet also gives an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle? ⁹In the same way, you* also, if you* do not give intelligible speech by means of the tongue, how will the [thing] spoken be known? For you* will be speaking into air.

¹⁰[There] are, it may be [fig., perhaps], so many kinds of sounds in the world, and none of them without meaning. ¹¹So if I do not know the power [fig., meaning] of the sound, I will be to the one speaking [as] a foreigner, and the one speaking [will be] to me [as] a foreigner. ¹²In the same way, you* also, since you* are zealous of spiritual [gifts], for the building up [or, edification] of the assembly, be seeking so that you* shall be abounding.

¹³For this very reason, the one speaking in a tongue, let him be praying that he shall be interpreting [or, translating]. ¹⁴For if I am praying in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind [or, understanding] is unfruitful. ¹⁵What then is it? I will pray with the spirit, but I will also pray with the mind [or, understanding]; I will sing praises with the spirit, but I will also sing praises with the mind [or, understanding]. ¹⁶Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will the one occupying the place of the unlearned say the “So be it!” at your giving of thanks, since he does not know [or, understand] what you are saying? ¹⁷For you indeed are rightly giving thanks, but the other is not built up [or, edified].

¹⁸I give thanks to my God [that] I speak in tongues more than all of you*. ¹⁹But in an assembly I desire to speak five words by means of my understanding, so that I shall also instruct others, rather than countless [or, ten thousand] words in a tongue.

²⁰Brothers [and sisters], stop being young children in your* understanding, but continue being as a child in evil, but continue becoming perfect [or, mature] in your* understanding. ²¹In the Law it has been written, “By ones speaking different tongues and by different lips [fig., speech] I will speak to this people, and not even in this manner will they hear Me,” says [the] Lord. [Isaiah 28:11,12; Deut 28:49] ²²So then tongues are for a sign, not to the ones believing, but to the unbelieving ones; but prophesy [is] not for the unbelieving ones, but for the ones believing.

²³Therefore, if the whole assembly comes together to the same [place] and all are speaking in tongues, and unlearned [persons] or unbelievers come in, they will say that you* are raving mad, will they not? ²⁴But if all are prophesying, and someone comes in, an unbeliever or an unlearned [person], he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all. ²⁵And in this way, the secrets of his heart become revealed, and in this way, having fallen on [his] face, he will prostrate himself in worship before God, declaring [or, acknowledging] that God truly is among you*.

²⁶What then is it, brothers [and sisters]? Whenever you* shall be coming together, each [one] of you* has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation [or, a translation]. Be letting all [things] be for building up [or, edification]. ²⁷If anyone speaks in a tongue, [let it be] by two or [at] the most by three, and [each] in turn, and let one be interpreting [or, translating]. ²⁸But if [there] is not an interpreter [or, translator], let him keep silent in an assembly, but let him speak to himself and to God.

²⁹Now let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment. ³⁰But if [something] is revealed to another sitting [there], let the first keep silent. ³¹For you* are able, one by one, all to be prophesying, so that all shall be learning, and all shall be continually encouraged. ³²And [the] spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. ³³For God is not of disorder but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the holy ones. [or, The final phrase could instead be the first phrase of the next paragraph.]

³⁴Let your* women be keeping silent in the assemblies, for it has not been permitted to them to be speaking, but to be subjecting themselves, just as also the Law says. ³⁵But if they desire to learn anything, let them be questioning their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful [or, shameful] [for] women to be speaking in an assembly. [cp. 1Tim 2:11-15]

³⁶Or did the word of God go out from you*? Or did it come to you* alone? ³⁷If anyone thinks [that he] is a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge what I write to you*, that they are commandments of [the] Lord. ³⁸But if anyone fails to understand, let him be failing to understand. ³⁹Accordingly brothers [and sisters], be earnestly desiring to be prophesying; and stop forbidding [or, preventing] to be speaking in tongues. ⁴⁰Be letting all [things] be done properly and according to order.

Scripture taken from the Analytical-Literal Translation of the New Testament of the Holy Bible: Third Edition.
Copyright © 2007 by Gary F. Zeolla of Darkness to Light ministry (www.zeolla.org/christian).
Previously copyrighted © 1999, 2001, 2005 by Gary F. Zeolla.

Books and eBooks by Gary F. Zeolla, the Director of Darkness to Light

The above sample passage was posted on this Web site September 19, 2007.

ALT: Sample Passages
Analytical-Literal Translation: Main Page

ALT: Hardcopy and eBook Formats

Text Search Contact Information
Subject Index Alphabetical List of Pages

Click Here for Books and eBooks by Gary F. Zeolla