Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options Listen to 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
Close NASB

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. 1 Corinthians 13:3 I.e., in martyrdom
  2. 1 Corinthians 13:7 Lit covers all things
  3. 1 Corinthians 13:8 Lit prophecies
  4. 1 Corinthians 13:11 Lit have become...have done away with
  5. 1 Corinthians 13:12 Lit in a riddle
  6. 1 Corinthians 13:13 Lit greater
Listen to 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
Close LEB

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. 1 Corinthians 12:31 Or “you are striving” (some understand the form of this verb to be indicative mood rather than imperative mood)
  2. 1 Corinthians 13:3 Some manuscripts have “in order that I may boast”
  3. 1 Corinthians 13:5 Literally “does not seek the things of itself”
  4. 1 Corinthians 13:12 Literally “in an indirect image”
Listen to 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
Close NIV

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. 1 Corinthians 13:1 Or languages
  2. 1 Corinthians 13:3 Some manuscripts body to the flames
Next
1 Corinthians 11
1 Corinthians 14
Next
dropdown
New American Standard Bible (NASB)

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible is made available by The Lockman Foundation
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.

July Summer Surge

More on the NIV