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 Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
31 But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.(A)
The Gift of Love
13 If I speak in the tongues of humans and of angels but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.(B) 3 If I give away all my possessions and if I hand over my body so that I may boast[a] but do not have love, I gain nothing.(C)
4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant(D) 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable; it keeps no record of wrongs;(E) 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth.(F) 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.(G)
8 Love never ends. 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 only in part, and we prophesy only in part, 10 but when the complete 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 an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 12 For now we see only a reflection, as in a mirror, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.(H) 13 And now faith, hope, and love remain, these three, and the greatest of these is love.
Footnotes
- 13.3 Other ancient authorities read body to be burned
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.