^20 (A)Do not despise prophecies.

³ But he who prophesies speaks ^(A)edification and ^(B)exhortation and comfort to men. ⁴ He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. ⁵ I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; ^[a]for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.

Tongues Must Be Interpreted

⁶ But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by ^(C)revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching?

Prophecy and Tongues

14 Pursue love, and ^(A)desire spiritual gifts, ^(B)but especially that you may prophesy.

²² Therefore tongues are for a ^(A)sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe. ²³ Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, ^(B)will they not say that you are ^[a]out of your mind? ²⁴ But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. ^25 [b]And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report ^(C)that God is truly among you.

⁴ Every man praying or ^(A)prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head.

^37 (A)If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. ³⁸ But ^[a]if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.

³⁹ Therefore, brethren, ^(B)desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues.

²⁵ Then the Lord came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, ^(A)when the Spirit rested upon them, that ^(B)they prophesied, ^[a]although they never did so again.

²⁶ But two men had remained in the camp: the name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those listed, but who ^(C)had not gone out to the tabernacle; yet they prophesied in the camp. ²⁷ And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

²⁸ So Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, one of his choice men, answered and said, “Moses my lord, ^(D)forbid them!”

²⁹ Then Moses said to him, “Are you ^[b]zealous for my sake? ^(E)Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!”

¹¹ And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, ^(A)for the ^[a]edifying of ^(B)the body of Christ,

²⁹ Let two or three prophets speak, and ^(A)let the others judge. ³⁰ But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, ^(B)let the first keep silent. ³¹ For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. ³² And ^(C)the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.