27 Now you are the body of Christ,(A) and each one of you is a part of it.(B) 28 And God has placed in the church(C) first of all apostles,(D) second prophets,(E) third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing,(F) of helping, of guidance,(G) and of different kinds of tongues.(H) 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[a]?(I) Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire(J) the greater gifts.

Love Is Indispensable

And yet I will show you the most excellent way.

13 If I speak in the tongues[b](K) of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy(L) and can fathom all mysteries(M) and all knowledge,(N) and if I have a faith(O) that can move mountains,(P) but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor(Q) and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[c](R) but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient,(S) love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.(T) It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,(U) it is not easily angered,(V) it keeps no record of wrongs.(W) Love does not delight in evil(X) but rejoices with the truth.(Y) It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.(Z)

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies,(AA) they will cease; where there are tongues,(AB) they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part(AC) and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes,(AD) what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood(AE) behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror;(AF) then we shall see face to face.(AG) Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.(AH)

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.(AI) But the greatest of these is love.(AJ)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 12:30 Or other languages
  2. 1 Corinthians 13:1 Or languages
  3. 1 Corinthians 13:3 Some manuscripts body to the flames

27 Now you are (A)Christ’s body, and (B)individually parts of it. 28 And God has [a](C)appointed in (D)the church, first (E)apostles, second (F)prophets, third (G)teachers, then [b](H)miracles, then (I)gifts of healings, helps, (J)administrations, and various (K)kinds of tongues. 29 All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of [c]miracles, are they? 30 All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not (L)interpret, do they? 31 But (M)earnestly desire the greater gifts.

And yet, I am going to show you a far better way.

The Excellence of Love

13 If I speak with the (N)tongues of mankind and of (O)angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a (P)clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of (Q)prophecy and know all (R)mysteries and all (S)knowledge, and if I have (T)all faith so as to (U)remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I (V)give away all my possessions to charity, and if I (W)surrender my body so that I may [d]glory, but do not have love, it does me no good.

Love (X)is patient, love is kind, it (Y)is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not (Z)arrogant. It does not act disgracefully, it (AA)does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, (AB)does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, (AC)it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but (AD)rejoices with the truth; it [e](AE)keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails; but if there are gifts of [f](AF)prophecy, they will be done away with; if there are (AG)tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away with. For we (AH)know in part and prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away with. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I [g]became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we (AI)see in a mirror [h]dimly, but then (AJ)face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also (AK)have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the [i]greatest of these is (AL)love.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 12:28 Lit set some in
  2. 1 Corinthians 12:28 Or works of power
  3. 1 Corinthians 12:29 Or works of power
  4. 1 Corinthians 13:3 I.e., in martyrdom
  5. 1 Corinthians 13:7 Lit covers all things
  6. 1 Corinthians 13:8 Lit prophecies
  7. 1 Corinthians 13:11 Lit have become...have done away with
  8. 1 Corinthians 13:12 Lit in a riddle
  9. 1 Corinthians 13:13 Lit greater

27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?

30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

27 Now (A)you are the body of Christ and individually (B)members of it. 28 And (C)God has appointed in the church first (D)apostles, second (E)prophets, third teachers, then (F)miracles, then (G)gifts of healing, (H)helping, (I)administrating, and (J)various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But (K)earnestly desire the higher gifts.

And I will show you a still more excellent way.

The Way of Love

13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have (L)prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, (M)so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. (N)If I give away all I have, and (O)if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.

(P)Love is patient and (Q)kind; love (R)does not envy or boast; it (S)is not arrogant or rude. It (T)does not insist on its own way; it (U)is not irritable or resentful;[b] it (V)does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but (W)rejoices with the truth. (X)Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, (Y)endures all things.

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For (Z)we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but (AA)when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For (AB)now we see in a mirror dimly, but (AC)then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as (AD)I have been fully known.

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 13:3 Some manuscripts deliver up my body [to death] that I may boast
  2. 1 Corinthians 13:5 Greek irritable and does not count up wrongdoing