13 I may be able to speak many different languages that people or angels speak. But that is worth nothing if I do not love other people. I would only be making a loud noise, like someone who hits a piece of metal. 2 I may be able to speak messages from God. I may understand all God's secret things, and know all the facts. I may have great faith so that I trust God enough to move mountains. But I am nothing if I do not love others. 3 I may give all my things to help poor people. I may let other people take my body to burn it. [ a ] But that would not help me if I do not love others.
4 If I love people, I will be patient. I will be kind. I will not be jealous of other people. I will not be proud and say that I am great. 5 If I love people, I will be polite. I will not just want to please myself. I will not quickly become angry. If someone does a wrong thing against me, I will not keep it in my thoughts. 6 If I love people, I will not be happy when bad things happen. Instead, I will be happy when things happen that are right and true. 7 If I love people, I will always accept their problems. I will always believe them. I will always hope for what is best. I will always be patient in troubles.
8 Love will always continue. The gift to speak messages from God will not always be necessary. The gift to speak in different languages will stop one day. The gift to know special things will not always be necessary. 9 At this time, we know only a part of everything. We can only speak a part of God's whole message. 10 But a time will come when everything becomes complete. When God does that, we will not need the small parts that we have now.
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child. My thoughts were a child's thoughts. I understood things in a way that a child understands. But now that I have become a man, I have stopped being like a child. 12 At this time, we see things as if we were looking at them in a mirror. What we see now is not clear. But the time will come when we do not need a mirror. We will see everything clearly. Now we know only a part of what is true. But then we will know everything completely. We will understand completely, just as God understands us completely.
13 At this time there are three things that continue. We continue to trust God. We continue to hope for his good things. We continue to love other people. But the most important of these things is love.
13 I may speak in different languages, whether human or even of angels. But if I don’t have love, I am only a noisy bell or a ringing cymbal. 2 I may have the gift of prophecy, I may understand all secrets and know everything there is to know, and I may have faith so great that I can move mountains. But even with all this, if I don’t have love, I am nothing. 3 I may give away everything I have to help others, and I may even give my body as an offering to be burned. But I gain nothing by doing all this if I don’t have love.
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. 5 Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. 6 Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth. 7 Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits.
8 Love will never end. But all those gifts will come to an end—even the gift of prophecy, the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages, and the gift of knowledge. 9 These will all end because this knowledge and these prophecies we have are not complete. 10 But when perfection comes, the things that are not complete will end.
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, and I made plans like a child. When I became a man, I stopped those childish ways. 12 It is the same with us. Now we see God as if we are looking at a reflection in a mirror. But then, in the future, we will see him right before our eyes. Now I know only a part, but at that time I will know fully, as God has known me. 13 So these three things continue: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.
13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake 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 now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
13 If I speak with the ( A ) tongues of mankind and of ( B ) angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a ( C ) clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of ( D ) prophecy and know all ( E ) mysteries and all ( F ) knowledge, and if I have ( G ) all faith so as to ( H ) remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I ( I ) give away all my possessions to charity , and if I ( J ) surrender my body so that I may [ a ] glory, but do not have love, it does me no good.
4 Love ( K ) is patient, love is kind, it ( L ) is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not ( M ) arrogant. 5 It does not act disgracefully, it ( N ) does not seek its own benefit ; it is not provoked, ( O ) does not keep an account of a wrong suffered , 6 ( P ) it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but ( Q ) rejoices with the truth; 7 it [ b ] ( R ) keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of [ c ] ( S ) prophecy, they will be done away with; if there are ( T ) tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away with. 9 For we ( U ) 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 ( V ) see in a mirror [ e ] dimly, but then ( W ) face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also ( X ) have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the [ f ] greatest of these is ( Y ) love.
13 If I speak in the tongues [ a ] ( A ) of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy ( B ) and can fathom all mysteries ( C ) and all knowledge, ( D ) and if I have a faith ( E ) that can move mountains, ( F ) but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor ( G ) and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, [ b ] ( H ) but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, ( I ) love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ( J ) 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, ( K ) it is not easily angered, ( L ) it keeps no record of wrongs. ( M ) 6 Love does not delight in evil ( N ) but rejoices with the truth. ( O ) 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ( P )
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, ( Q ) they will cease; where there are tongues, ( R ) they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part ( S ) and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, ( T ) what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood ( U ) behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; ( V ) then we shall see face to face. ( W ) Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. ( X )
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. ( Y ) But the greatest of these is love. ( Z )
