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 (A)prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, (B)so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. (C)If I give away all I have, and (D)if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.

(E)Love is patient and (F)kind; love (G)does not envy or boast; it (H)is not arrogant or rude. It (I)does not insist on its own way; it (J)is not irritable or resentful;[b] it (K)does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but (L)rejoices with the truth. (M)Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, (N)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 (O)we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but (P)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 (Q)now we see in a mirror dimly, but (R)then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as (S)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

13 我若能说人间的方言,甚至天使的语言,却没有爱,我就成为鸣的锣、响的钹一般。 我若有先知讲道的能力,也明白各样的奥秘,各样的知识,而且有齐备的信心,使我能够移山,却没有爱,我就算不了什么。 我若将所有的财产救济穷人,又牺牲自己的身体让人夸赞[a],却没有爱,仍然对我无益。

爱是恒久忍耐;又有恩慈;爱是不嫉妒;爱是不自夸,不张狂, 不做害羞的事,不求自己的益处,不轻易发怒,不计算人的恶, 不喜欢不义,只喜欢真理; 凡事包容,凡事相信,凡事盼望,凡事忍耐。

爱是永不止息。先知讲道之能终必归于无有;说方言[b]之能终必停止;知识也终必归于无有。 我们现在所知道的有限,先知所讲的也有限, 10 等那完全的来到,这有限的必消逝。 11 我作孩子的时候,说话像孩子,心思像孩子,意念像孩子;既长大成人,就把孩子的事丢弃了。 12 我们现在是对着镜子观看,模糊不清[c];到那时,就要面对面了。我如今所认识的有限,到那时就全认识,如同主认识我一样。

13 如今常存的有信,有望,有爱这三样,其中最大的是爱。

Footnotes

  1. 13.3 “让人夸赞”:有古卷是“给人当作祭品焚烧”。
  2. 13.8 “方言”或译“灵语”。
  3. 13.12 “模糊不清”:原文直译“如同猜谜”。