1 Corinthians 13
1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of messengers, and do not have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal;
Supposing we could speak [all] the various languages [MTY] that people [in the world speak] and even speak [the language] that angels [speak]. If we did not love [others, speaking those languages] would be [as useless as beating] a brass gong or clanging cymbals [together].
2 and if I have prophecy, and know all the secrets, and all the knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, and do not have love, I am nothing;
Supposing we had the ability to speak messages that come directly from God, and we could understand the plans that he has not yet revealed [to others], and we could know everything [about everything], and we believed in God so strongly that we could [do impossible things like] causing mountains to move. If we did not love [others, God would consider all that] to be worthless.
3 and if I give away all my goods to feed others, and if I give up my body that I may be burned, and do not have love, I am profited nothing.
And supposing we would give everything that we own to poor people, and would let others kill us in order that we could boast about [sacrificing our] own bodies. If we did not love [others], we would not get any reward [from God].
4 Love is long-suffering, it is kind, love does not envy, love does not vaunt itself, is not puffed up,
Those who [PRS] truly love [others] act patiently and kindly toward them. Those who [PRS] truly love [others] are not jealous of them, they do not boast [about what they themselves have done], and are not proud.
5 does not act unseemly, does not seek its own things, is not provoked, does not impute evil,
Those who [PRS] truly love [others] do not act in disgraceful/disrespectful ways towards them. They do not (act selfishly/think only of themselves and what they want). They do not quickly become angry. They do not keep remembering the bad things [that others have done to them].
6 [does] not rejoice over unrighteousness, and rejoices with the truth;
Those who [PRS] truly love [others] do not rejoice when [people do] evil things, but they do rejoice when [people act] righteously.
7 it bears all things, it believes all, it hopes all, it endures all.
Those who truly love [others] patiently put up [the faults of others]. They do not quickly assume [that others have done something bad]. They confidently expect [that others will act righteously]. They patiently endure [all their own troubles].
8 Love never fails; and whether [there be] prophecies, they will become useless; whether tongues, they will cease; whether knowledge, it will become useless;
We should never [PRS] let anything stop us from continuing to love [others]. As for the ability to speak messages that come directly from God, some day that will come to an end. As for the ability to speak languages [MTY] [that we have not learned], that will [also] come to an end some day. And as for the ability to know things that God reveals to us, that will come to an end some day [because it will not be necessary any more].
9 for we know in part, and we prophesy in part;
God does not reveal everything to us, and we cannot know everything that he knows.
10 and when that which is perfect may come, then that which [is] in part will become useless.
But when everything is perfect [after Christ returns], things which are not perfect [now], [such as the abilities which God’s Spirit gives us], will (disappear/come to an end).
11 When I was a child, I was speaking as a child, I was thinking as a child, I was reasoning as a child, and when I have become a man, I have made useless the things of the child;
When we were children, we talked like children talk, we thought like children think, we reasoned like children reason. But when we grew up, we got rid of our childish ways [MET]. [Similarly], [you need to get rid of your childish thinking about the abilities that the Spirit has given you].
12 for we now see obscurely through a mirror, and then face to face; now I know in part, and then I will fully know, as I was also known;
In this life we do not understand everything fully. It is like [MET] looking at something indirectly by seeing it in a mirror. But [when we get to heaven] [MTY], we will [understand everything clearly. It will be like] talking to someone face-to-face. Now we know only part [of everything that God wants us to know]. Then we will know everything completely, just like [God] knows us completely.
13 and now there remains faith, hope, love—these three; and the greatest of these [is] love.
So now there are three things [that we must] continue [to do]: To trust [in God], to confidently expect [to receive what he will give us], and to love [others]. But the greatest of those three things is loving [others].
