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. 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. 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.

Love is patient, love is kind, love is not jealous, it does not boast, it does not become conceited, it does not behave dishonorably, it is not selfish[c], it does not become angry, it does not keep a record of wrongs, it does not rejoice at unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

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. 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”

31 Set your hearts zēloō then de on the ho higher megas gifts charisma. · ho And kai now eti I will show deiknymi you hymeis a way hodos that is beyond kata comparison hyperbolē.

13 If ean I speak laleō in the ho tongues glōssa of ho men anthrōpos and kai of ho angels angelos, but de do echō not have echō love agapē, I am ginomai a resounding ēcheō gong chalkos or ē a clanging alalazō cymbal kymbalon. And kai if ean I have echō the gift of prophecy prophēteia, and kai understand oida · ho all pas mysteries mystērion and kai all pas · ho knowledge gnōsis, and kai if ean I have echō all pas · ho faith pistis so that hōste I can remove methistēmi mountains oros, but de do echō not have echō love agapē, I am eimi nothing outheis. If I kan give away psōmizō everything pas · ho I egō own hyparchō, and kai if ean I surrender paradidōmi · ho my egō body sōma to hina be burned kauchaomai, but de do echō not have echō love agapē, it benefits me ōpheleō nothing oudeis.

· ho Love agapē is patient makrothumeō, love agapē is kind chrēsteuomai, · ho it does not ou envy zēloō. · ho Love agapē does not ou brag perpereuomai, it is not ou arrogant physioō, it is not ou rude aschēmoneō, it is not ou self-seeking zēteō, · ho it is not ou easily angered paroxynō, it keeps no ou account logizomai of ho wrongs kakos, it takes no ou pleasure chairō in epi · ho wrongdoing adikia, but de rejoices synchairō in the ho truth alētheia. Love bears stegō all pas things , believes pisteuō all pas things , hopes elpizō all pas things , endures hypomenō all pas things .

· ho Love agapē never oudepote comes to an end piptō. But de if eite there are prophecies prophēteia, they will be set aside katargeō; if eite there are tongues glōssa, they will cease pauō; if eite there is knowledge gnōsis, it will be set aside katargeō. For gar we know ginōskō in ek part meros and kai we prophesy prophēteuō in ek part meros, 10 but de when hotan what ho is complete teleios comes erchomai, the ho partial ek meros will be set aside katargeō. 11 When hote I was eimi a child nēpios, I talked laleō like hōs a child nēpios, I thought phroneō like hōs a child nēpios, I reasoned logizomai like hōs a child nēpios. When hote I became ginomai a man anēr, I set aside katargeō childish nēpios ways ho. · ho 12 For gar the present arti we are looking blepō through dia a mirror esoptron obscurely en ainigma, but de then tote face prosōpon to pros face prosōpon. Now arti I know ginōskō in ek part meros; then tote · de I will know fully epiginōskō, just as kathōs · kai I have been fully known epiginōskō. 13 And de now nyni remain menō faith pistis, hope elpis, and love agapē; · ho these houtos three treis. And de the greatest megas of these houtos is · ho love agapē.