1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
New King James Version
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. 2 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. 3 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.
4 (E)Love suffers long and is (F)kind; love (G)does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not [c]puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, (H)does not seek its own, is not provoked, [d]thinks no evil; 6 (I)does not rejoice in iniquity, but (J)rejoices in the truth; 7 (K)bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 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. 9 (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 Corinthians 12:31 NU greater
- 1 Corinthians 13:3 NU so I may boast
- 1 Corinthians 13:4 arrogant
- 1 Corinthians 13:5 keeps no accounts of evil
- 1 Corinthians 13:10 complete
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
Lexham English Bible
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. 2 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. 3 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.
4 Love is patient, love is kind, love is not jealous, it does not boast, it does not become conceited, 5 it does not behave dishonorably, it is not selfish[c], it does not become angry, it does not keep a record of wrongs, 6 it does not rejoice at unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth, 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 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. 9 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 Corinthians 12:31 Or “you are striving” (some understand the form of this verb to be indicative mood rather than imperative mood)
- 1 Corinthians 13:3 Some manuscripts have “in order that I may boast”
- 1 Corinthians 13:5 Literally “does not seek the things of itself”
- 1 Corinthians 13:12 Literally “in an indirect image”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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