Bible verses about "language" | JPS_ASV_Byz

¹ When Israel came forth out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;

⁸ And how hear we, every man in our own language wherein we were born? ⁹ Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ in Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and sojourners from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, ¹¹ Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking in our tongues the mighty works of God.

¹⁰ There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.

² For he that speaketh in a tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God, for no man understandeth, but in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. ³ But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men edification, and exhortation, and consolation. ⁴ He that speaketh in a tongue edifieth himself, but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. ⁵ Now I would have you all speak with tongues, but rather that ye should prophesy; for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. ⁶ But now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, unless I speak to you either by way of revelation, or of knowledge, or of prophesying, or of teaching? ⁷ Even things without life, giving a voice, whether pipe or harp, if they give not a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? ⁸ For if the trumpet give an uncertain voice, who shall prepare himself for war? ⁹ So also ye, unless ye utter by the tongue speech easy to understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye will be speaking into the air. ¹⁰ There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. ¹¹ If then I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be to him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh will be a barbarian unto me. ¹² So also ye, since ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may abound unto the edifying of the church. ¹³ Wherefore let him that speaketh in a tongue pray that he may interpret. ¹⁴ For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. ¹⁵ What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also; I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. ¹⁶ Else if thou bless with the spirit, how shall he that filleth the place of the unlearned say the Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he knoweth not what thou sayest? ¹⁷ For thou indeed givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. ¹⁸ I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than you all: ¹⁹ howbeit in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue. ²⁰ Brethren, be not children in mind; yet in malice be ye babes, but in mind be men. ²¹ In the law it is written, By men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers will I speak unto this people, and not even thus will they hear me, saith the Lord. ²² Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to the unbelieving; but prophesying is for a sign, not to the unbelieving, but to them that believe. ²³ If therefore the whole church be assembled together and all speak with tongues, and there come in men unlearned or unbelieving, will they not say that ye are mad? ²⁴ But if all prophesy, and there come in one unbelieving or unlearned, he is reproved by all, he is judged by all, ²⁵ and thus the secrets of his heart are made manifest, and so he will fall down on his face and worship God, declaring that God is among you indeed. ²⁶ What is it then, brethren? When ye come together, each one hath a psalm, hath a teaching, hath a revelation, hath a tongue, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. ²⁷ If any man speaketh in a tongue, let it be by two, or at the most three, and that in turn, and let one interpret: ²⁸ but if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church, and let him speak to himself, and to God.

¹ And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech. ² And it came to pass, as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. ³ And they said one to another: 'Come, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly.' And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. ⁴ And they said: 'Come, let us build us a city, and a tower, with its top in heaven, and let us make us a name; lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.' ⁵ And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. ⁶ And the LORD said: 'Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is what they begin to do; and now nothing will be withholden from them, which they purpose to do. ⁷ Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.' ⁸ So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth; and they left off to build the city. ⁹ Therefore was the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth; and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

⁶ And the LORD said: 'Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is what they begin to do; and now nothing will be withholden from them, which they purpose to do.

⁸ And how hear we, every man in our own language wherein we were born?

⁴ The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of them that are taught, that I should know how to sustain with words him that is weary; He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as they that are taught.