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31 But [a]you (A)earnestly desire the greater gifts.

And I will yet show you a more excellent way.

The Excellence of Love

13 If I speak with the (B)tongues of men and of (C)angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a (D)clanging cymbal. And 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. And if I (J)give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I (K)surrender my body [b]to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

Love (L)is patient, love is kind, (M)is not jealous, does not brag, is not (N)puffed up; it does not act unbecomingly, (O)does not seek its own, is not provoked, (P)does not take into account a wrong suffered; (Q)it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but (R)rejoices with the truth; [c](S)it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails, but if there are gifts of [d](T)prophecy, they will be done away; if there are (U)tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we (V)know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the [e]perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child. When I [f]became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we (W)see in a mirror [g]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 abide faith, hope, love—these three; but the [h]greatest of these is (Z)love.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 12:31 Or earnestly desire
  2. 1 Corinthians 13:3 Some early mss that I may boast
  3. 1 Corinthians 13:7 Or covers
  4. 1 Corinthians 13:8 Lit prophecies
  5. 1 Corinthians 13:10 Or mature
  6. 1 Corinthians 13:11 Lit have become...have done away with
  7. 1 Corinthians 13:12 Lit in a riddle
  8. 1 Corinthians 13:13 Lit greater

31 But eagerly seek the greater gifts. And now, I am going to show you a more excellent way.

Love Matters More Than the Other Gifts

13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and know all the mysteries and have all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I give up my body that I may be burned[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient. Love is kind. Love does not envy. It does not brag. It is not arrogant. It does not behave indecently. It is not selfish. It is not irritable. It does not keep a record of wrongs. It does not rejoice over unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth. It bears[c] all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.[d]

Love never comes to an end. But if there are prophetic gifts, they will be done away with; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be done away with. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part, 10 but when that which is complete has come, that which is partial will be done away with. 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 away childish things. 12 Now we see indirectly using a mirror, but then we will see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I was fully known.

13 So now these three remain: faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 13:1 Or languages
  2. 1 Corinthians 13:3 A few witnesses to the text read that I may boast.
  3. 1 Corinthians 13:7 Or keeps silent about
  4. 1 Corinthians 13:7 Or It always endures, always believes, always hopes, always perseveres