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1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
Christian Standard Bible
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
Christian Standard Bible
31 But desire(A) the greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way.
Love: The Superior Way
13 If I speak human or angelic tongues[a] but do not have love,(B) I am a noisy gong(C) or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy(D) and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains(E) but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient,(F) love is kind. Love does not envy,(G) is not boastful, is not arrogant,(H) 5 is not rude, is not self-seeking,(I) is not irritable,(J) and does not keep a record of wrongs. 6 Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth.(K) 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures(L) all things.
8 Love never ends.(M) But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end. 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 put aside childish things. 12 For now we see only a reflection[c] as in a mirror, but then face to face.(N) Now I know in part, but then I will know fully,(O) as I am fully known.(P) 13 Now these three remain: faith, hope,(Q) and love—but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
Lexham English Bible
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
Lexham English Bible
31 But strive[a] for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
Love, the More Excellent Way
13 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a ringing brass gong or a clashing cymbal. 2 And if I have the gift of prophecy and I know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I parcel out all my possessions, and if I hand over my body in order that I will be burned,[b] but do not have love, it benefits me nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind, love is not jealous, it does not boast, it does not become conceited, 5 it does not behave dishonorably, it is not selfish[c], it does not become angry, it does not keep a record of wrongs, 6 it does not rejoice at unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth, 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. But if there are prophecies, they will pass away. If there are tongues, they will cease. If there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but whenever 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 set aside the things of a child. 12 For now we see through a mirror indirectly[d], but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know completely, just as I have also been completely known. 13 And now these three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 12:31 Or “you are striving” (some understand the form of this verb to be indicative mood rather than imperative mood)
- 1 Corinthians 13:3 Some manuscripts have “in order that I may boast”
- 1 Corinthians 13:5 Literally “does not seek the things of itself”
- 1 Corinthians 13:12 Literally “in an indirect image”
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
New International Version
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
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
Lexham English Bible (LEB)
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.