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
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
Revised Standard Version
31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
And I will show you a still more excellent way.
The Gift of Love
13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not 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 have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; 5 it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; 10 but when the perfect comes, the imperfect 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 gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. 13 So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 13:3 Other ancient authorities read body that I may glory
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.