¹Pursue the love, and seek earnestly the spiritual things, and rather that ye may prophecy,

¹Jitahidini kuwa na upendo. Vilevile fanyeni bidii ya kupata vipaji vingine vya kiroho, hasa kipaji cha kutangaza ujumbe wa Mungu.

²for he who is speaking in an [unknown] tongue — to men he doth not speak, but to God, for no one doth hearken, and in spirit he doth speak secrets;

²Mwenye kunena lugha ngeni hasemi na watu bali anasema na Mungu. Yeye hunena kwa nguvu ya Roho mambo yaliyofichika.

³and he who is prophesying to men doth speak edification, and exhortation, and comfort;

³Lakini mwenye kipaji cha kutangaza ujumbe wa Mungu, husema na watu kwa ajili ya kuwajenga, kuwafariji na kuwatia moyo.

⁴he who is speaking in an [unknown] tongue, himself doth edify, and he who is prophesying, an assembly doth edify;

⁴Mwenye kunena lugha ngeni anajijenga mwenyewe. Lakini mwenye kipaji cha kutangaza ujumbe wa Mungu, analijenga kanisa.

⁵and I wish you all to speak with tongues, and more that ye may prophecy, for greater is he who is prophesying than he who is speaking with tongues, except one may interpret, that the assembly may receive edification.

⁵Basi, ningependa ninyi nyote mseme kwa lugha ngeni lakini ningependelea hasa muwe na kipaji cha kutangaza ujumbe wa Mungu, maana mtu mwenye kipaji cha kutangaza ujumbe wa Mungu, ni wa maana zaidi kuliko yule mwenye kusema lugha ngeni, isipokuwa tu kama yupo hapo mtu awezaye kuyafafanua hayo mambo asemayo, ili kanisa lipate kujengwa.

⁶And now, brethren, if I may come unto you speaking tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either in revelation, or in knowledge, or in prophesying, or in teaching?

⁶Hivyo, ndugu zangu, kama nikija kwenu na kusema nanyi kwa lugha ngeni itawafaa nini? Haitawafaa chochote, isipokuwa tu kama nitawaelezeni ufunuo wa Mungu au ujuzi fulani au ujumbe wa Mungu au mafundisho fulani.

⁷yet the things without life giving sound — whether pipe or harp — if a difference in the sounds they may not give, how shall be known that which is piped or that which is harped?

⁷Ndivyo ilivyo kwa vyombo visivyo na uhai vyenye kutoa sauti kama vile filimbi au kinanda. Je, mtu anawezaje kuutambua wimbo unaochezwa kama vyombo hivyo havitoi sauti waziwazi vinapopigwa?

⁸for if also an uncertain sound a trumpet may give, who shall prepare himself for battle?

⁸La mgambo likilia bila kufuata taratibu zake, nani atajiweka tayari kwa vita?

⁹so also ye, if through the tongue, speech easily understood ye may not give — how shall that which is spoken be known? for ye shall be speaking to air.

⁹Hali kadhalika na ninyi, kama ulimi wenu hausemi kitu chenye kueleweka, nani ataweza kufahamu mnayosema? Maneno yenu yatapotea hewani.

¹⁰There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is unmeaning,

¹⁰Zipo lugha mbalimbali ulimwenguni, na hakuna hata mojawapo isiyo na maana.

¹¹if, then, I do not know the power of the voice, I shall be to him who is speaking a foreigner, and he who is speaking, is to me a foreigner;

¹¹Lakini ikiwa mimi sifahamu maana ya lugha asemayo mtu fulani, mimi ni mgeni kwake mtu huyo naye pia ni mgeni kwangu.

¹²so also ye, since ye are earnestly desirous of spiritual gifts, for the building up of the assembly seek that ye may abound;

¹²Hali kadhalika na ninyi, maadam mna hamu ya kupata vipaji vya Roho, jitahidini hasa kujipatia vile vinavyosaidia kulijenga kanisa.

¹³wherefore he who is speaking in an [unknown] tongue — let him pray that he may interpret;

¹³Kwa hiyo, mwenye kunena lugha ngeni na aombe apate uwezo wa kuzifafanua.

¹⁴for if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit doth pray, and my understanding is unfruitful.

¹⁴Maana, nikisali kwa lugha ngeni roho yangu ndiyo inayosali, lakini akili yangu hubaki bure.

¹⁵What then is it? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray also with the understanding; I will sing psalms with the spirit, and I will sing psalms also with the understanding;

¹⁵Nifanye nini, basi? Nitasali kwa roho yangu, nitasali pia kwa akili yangu; nitaimba kwa roho yangu, nitaimba pia kwa akili yangu.

¹⁶since, if thou mayest bless with the spirit, he who is filling the place of the unlearned, how shall he say the Amen at thy giving of thanks, since what thou dost say he hath not known?

¹⁶Ukimsifu Mungu kwa roho yako tu, atawezaje mtu wa kawaida aliye katika mkutano kuitikia sala yako ya shukrani kwa kusema: "Amina," kama haelewi unachosema?

¹⁷for thou, indeed, dost give thanks well, but the other is not built up!

¹⁷Sala yako ya shukrani yaweza kweli kuwa bora, lakini huyo mwingine haitamfaidia.

¹⁸I give thanks to my God — more than you all with tongues speaking —

¹⁸Namshukuru Mungu kwamba mimi nasema kwa lugha ngeni zaidi kuliko ninyi nyote.

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.

¹⁹Lakini katika mikutano ya waumini napendelea zaidi kusema maneno matano yenye kueleweka ili niwafundishe wengine, kuliko kusema maneno elfu ya lugha ngeni.

²⁰Brethren, become not children in the understanding, but in the evil be ye babes, and in the understanding become ye perfect;

²⁰Ndugu, msiwe kama watoto katika fikira zenu. Kuhusu uovu muwe kama watoto wachanga lakini katika kufikiri ni lazima muwe kama watu waliokomaa.

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;`

²¹Imeandikwa katika Sheria: "Bwana asema hivi: Kwa njia ya wenye kunena lugha ngeni, na kwa midomo ya wageni, nitasema na watu hawa, hata hivyo, hawatanisikiliza."

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,

²²Hivyo basi, kipaji cha kusema lugha ngeni ni ishara, si kwa ajili ya watu wenye imani, bali kwa ajili ya wale wasioamini; lakini kipaji cha kutangaza ujumbe wa Mungu ni kwa ajili ya wale wanaoamini na si kwa ajili ya wasioamini.

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?

²³Basi, kanisa lote linapokutana pamoja, na wote wakaanza kusema kwa lugha ngeni, kama wakija watu wa kawaida au wasioamini, je, hawatasema kwamba ninyi mna wazimu?

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,

²⁴Lakini, wote wakiwa wanautangaza ujumbe wa Mungu, akija mtu wa kawaida au asiyeamini, yote atakayosikia yatamhakikishia ubaya wake mwenyewe; yote atakayosikia yatamhukumu.

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.

²⁵Siri za moyo wake zitafichuliwa, naye atapiga magoti na kumwabudu Mungu akisema: "Kweli Mungu yupo pamoja nanyi."

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;

²⁶Ndugu, tuseme nini, basi? Mnapokutana pamoja, mmoja aimbe wimbo, mwingine atoe mafundisho, mwingine awe na ufunuo kutoka kwa Mungu, mwingine atumie kipaji cha kusema kwa lugha ngeni na mwingine afafanue yanayosemwa. Yote yawe kwa ajili ya kulijenga kanisa.

²⁷if an [unknown] tongue any one do speak, by two, or at the most, by three, and in turn, and let one interpret;

²⁷Wakiwepo watu wenye vipaji vya kusema kwa lugha ngeni, waseme wawili au watatu, si zaidi, tena mmojammoja; na aweko mtu wa kufafanua yanayosemwa.

²⁸and if there may be no interpreter, let him be silent in an assembly, and to himself let him speak, and to God.

²⁸Lakini kama hakuna awezaye kufafanua, basi, mwenye kusema lugha ngeni anyamaze mkutanoni, aseme na nafsi yake mwenyewe na Mungu.

²⁹And prophets — let two or three speak, and let the others discern,

²⁹Kuhusu wale wenye kipaji cha kutangaza ujumbe wa Mungu, waseme wawili au watatu, na wengine wayapime maneno yao.

³⁰and if to another sitting [anything] may be revealed, let the first be silent;

³⁰Ikiwa mmoja anaposema mwingine wa wasikilizaji amepata ufunuo kutoka kwa Mungu, basi, yule anayesema anyamaze.

³¹for ye are able, one by one, all to prophesy, that all may learn, and all may be exhorted,

³¹Maana nyote mwaweza kutangaza ujumbe wa Mungu, mmoja baada ya mwingine, ili nyote mpate kujifunza na kutiwa moyo.

³²and the spiritual gift of prophets to prophets are subject,

³²Kipaji cha kutangaza ujumbe wa Mungu ni lazima kitawaliwe na huyo mwenye hicho kipaji.

³³for God is not [a God] of tumult, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints.

³³Maana Mungu si Mungu wa fujo, ila wa amani.

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;

³⁴Kama ilivyo desturi katika makanisa yote ya watu wa Mungu, wanawake wakae kimya katika mikutano ya waumini. Hawana ruhusa kusema; ila wawe watii kama isemavyo Sheria.

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.

³⁵Ikiwa wanayo maswali ya kuuliza, wawaulize waume zao nyumbani, maana ni aibu kwa mwanamke kusema katika mikutano ya waumini.

³⁶From you did the word of God come forth? or to you alone did it come?

³⁶Je, mnadhani neno la Mungu limetoka kwenu ninyi au kwamba limewajieni ninyi peke yenu?

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;

³⁷Kama mtu yeyote anadhani kwamba yeye ni mjumbe wa Mungu au kwamba anacho kipaji cha Roho, na ajue kwamba haya ninayowaandikia ninyi ni amri ya Bwana.

³⁸and if any one is ignorant — let him be ignorant;

³⁸Lakini mtu asiyetambua hayo, basi, mtu asimjali mtu huyo.

³⁹so that, brethren, earnestly desire to prophesy, and to speak with tongues do not forbid;

³⁹Hivyo basi, ndugu zangu, mnapaswa kuwa na hamu ya kutangaza ujumbe wa Mungu; lakini msimkataze mtu kusema kwa lugha ngeni.

⁴⁰let all things be done decently and in order.

⁴⁰Lakini yote yafanyike kwa heshima na kwa utaratibu.