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
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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