1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
New International Version
31 Now eagerly desire(A) the greater gifts.
Love Is Indispensable
And yet I will show you the most excellent way.
13 If I speak in the tongues[a](B) of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy(C) and can fathom all mysteries(D) and all knowledge,(E) and if I have a faith(F) that can move mountains,(G) but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor(H) and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b](I) but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient,(J) love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.(K) 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,(L) it is not easily angered,(M) it keeps no record of wrongs.(N) 6 Love does not delight in evil(O) but rejoices with the truth.(P) 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.(Q)
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies,(R) they will cease; where there are tongues,(S) they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part(T) and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes,(U) 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(V) behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror;(W) then we shall see face to face.(X) Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.(Y)
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.(Z) But the greatest of these is love.(AA)
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 13:1 Or languages
- 1 Corinthians 13:3 Some manuscripts body to the flames
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
New King James Version
31 But (A)earnestly desire the [a]best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.
The Greatest Gift
13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of (B)prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, (C)so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And (D)though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body [b]to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 (E)Love suffers long and is (F)kind; love (G)does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not [c]puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, (H)does not seek its own, is not provoked, [d]thinks no evil; 6 (I)does not rejoice in iniquity, but (J)rejoices in the truth; 7 (K)bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 (L)For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is [e]perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke 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 (M)now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then (N)face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 12:31 NU greater
- 1 Corinthians 13:3 NU so I may boast
- 1 Corinthians 13:4 arrogant
- 1 Corinthians 13:5 keeps no accounts of evil
- 1 Corinthians 13:10 complete
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
English Standard Version
31 But (A)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. 2 And if I have (B)prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, (C)so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 (D)If I give away all I have, and (E)if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 (F)Love is patient and (G)kind; love (H)does not envy or boast; it (I)is not arrogant 5 or rude. It (J)does not insist on its own way; it (K)is not irritable or resentful;[b] 6 it (L)does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but (M)rejoices with the truth. 7 (N)Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, (O)endures all things.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For (P)we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but (Q)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 (R)now we see in a mirror dimly, but (S)then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as (T)I have been fully known.
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 13:3 Some manuscripts deliver up my body [to death] that I may boast
- 1 Corinthians 13:5 Greek irritable and does not count up wrongdoing
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
New American Standard Bible
31 But (A)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 (B)tongues of mankind and of (C)angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a (D)clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of (E)prophecy and know all (F)mysteries and all (G)knowledge, and if I have (H)all faith so as to (I)remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I (J)give away all my possessions to charity, and if I (K)surrender my body so that I may [a]glory, but do not have love, it does me no good.
4 Love (L)is patient, love is kind, it (M)is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not (N)arrogant. 5 It does not act disgracefully, it (O)does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, (P)does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, 6 (Q)it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but (R)rejoices with the truth; 7 it [b](S)keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of [c](T)prophecy, they will be done away with; if there are (U)tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away with. 9 For we (V)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 [d]became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we (W)see in a mirror [e]dimly, but then (X)face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also (Y)have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the [f]greatest of these is (Z)love.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 13:3 I.e., in martyrdom
- 1 Corinthians 13:7 Lit covers all things
- 1 Corinthians 13:8 Lit prophecies
- 1 Corinthians 13:11 Lit have become...have done away with
- 1 Corinthians 13:12 Lit in a riddle
- 1 Corinthians 13:13 Lit greater
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