Book of Common Prayer

The nature and attributes of love.

13 Though I spoke with the tongues of men and angels, and yet had no love, I would be even as sounding brass, or as a ringing cymbal. ² And though I could prophesy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge – yea if I had all faith, so that I could move mountains out of their places – and yet had no love, I would be nothing. ³ And if I bestowed all my goods to feed the poor, and even if I gave my body to be burned, and yet had no love, it profits me nothing.

⁴ Love suffers long, and is kind. Love does not envy. Love is not contrary, does not swell up, ⁵ does not deal dishonourably, seeks not her own, is not provoked to anger, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not take pleasure in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ suffers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures in all things. ⁸ Though prophesying fail, or tongues cease, or knowledge vanish away, yet love never falls away.

⁹ For our knowledge is imperfect, and our prophesying is imperfect. ¹⁰ But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is imperfect shall be put away. ¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I imagined as a child. But as soon as I was a man, I put away childishness. ¹² Now we see as is reflected to us in a mysterious word, but then we shall see face to face. Now I know imperfectly, but then I shall know even as I am known. ¹³ Now faith, hope, and love, these three things abide, but the chief of these is love.

¹⁴ And he came to his disciples and saw crowds of people about them, and the scribes disputing with them. ¹⁵ And straightaway all the people, when they saw Jesus, were moved with wonder, and ran to him and greeted him. ¹⁶ And he said to the scribes, What are you disputing with them? ¹⁷ A man from the crowd answered and said, Teacher, I have brought my son to you, who has a dumb spirit, ¹⁸ and whenever it takes him, it tears him, and he foams and gnashes with his teeth, and collapses. And I spoke to your disciples, to cast it out, but they could not.

¹⁹ Jesus answered him and said, O generation without faith, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him to me. ²⁰ And they brought the boy to him. And as soon as the spirit saw him, it tore the boy, and he fell down on the ground, wallowing and foaming. ²¹ And Jesus asked his father, How long has this been happening to him? And he said, Since childhood. ²² And often it casts him into the fire, and also into the water, to kill him. But if you can do anything, have mercy on us and help us! ²³ And Jesus said to him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes. ²⁴ And straightaway the father of the child exclaimed with tears, saying, Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!

²⁵ When Jesus saw that the people came running to gather to him, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying to him, Deaf and dumb spirit, I charge you to come out of him, and enter no more into him! ²⁶ And the spirit cried out, and rent him badly, and came out. And the boy was as one dead, insomuch that many said, He is dead. ²⁷ But Jesus caught his hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

²⁸ And when Jesus had entered into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could we not cast him out? ²⁹ And he said to them, This kind can come out no other way but by prayer and fasting.