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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 (A)earnestly desire the [a]best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.

The Greatest Gift

13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of (B)prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, (C)so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And (D)though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body [b]to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

(E)Love suffers long and is (F)kind; love (G)does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not [c]puffed up; does not behave rudely, (H)does not seek its own, is not provoked, [d]thinks no evil; (I)does not rejoice in iniquity, but (J)rejoices in the truth; (K)bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. (L)For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is [e]perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For (M)now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then (N)face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 12:31 NU greater
  2. 1 Corinthians 13:3 NU so I may boast
  3. 1 Corinthians 13:4 arrogant
  4. 1 Corinthians 13:5 keeps no accounts of evil
  5. 1 Corinthians 13:10 complete