1 Corinthians 13
1 Although with the tongues of men, I be speaking, and of messengers, and have not, love, I have become resounding brass, or a clanging cymbal;
Though I speak in the ‘tongues’ of men, or even of angels, yet have not Love, I have become mere echoing brass, or a clanging cymbal!
2 And, though I have [the gift of] prophesying, and know all sacred secrets, and all knowledge, —and though I have all faith, so as to be removing mountains, and have not, love, I am, nothing;
Even though I have the gift of preaching, and fathom all hidden truths and all the depths of knowledge; even though I have such faith as might move mountains, yet have not Love, I am nothing!
3 And, though I morsel out all my goods, —and though I deliver up my body, that I may boast, and have not, love, I am profited, nothing.
Even though I dole my substance to the poor, even though I sacrifice my body, that I may boast, yet have not Love, it avails me nothing!
4 Love, is patient, is gracious. Love, is not envious, vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Love is long-suffering, and kind; Love is never envious, never boastful, never conceited, never behaves unbecomingly;
5 Acteth not unbecomingly, seeketh not her own things, is not easily provoked, imputeth not that which is base,
love is never self-seeking, never provoked, never reckons up her wrongs;
6 Rejoiceth not over unrighteousness, but rejoiceth in sympathy with truth, —
love never rejoices at evil, but rejoices in the triumph of Truth;
7 All things, covereth, all things, believeth, all things, hopeth, all things, endureth.
love bears with all things, every trustful, ever hopeful, ever patient.
8 Love, at no time, faileth; —but, whether prophesyings, they shall be done away, whether tongues, they shall cease, whether gaining knowledge, it shall be done away;
Love never fails. But, whether it be the gift of preaching, it will be done with; whether it be the gift of ‘tongues,’ it will cease; whether it be knowledge, it, too, will be done with.
9 For, in part, are we gaining knowledge, and, in part, are we prophesying, —
For our knowledge is incomplete, and our preaching is incomplete,
10 But, as soon as that which is complete is come, that which is in part, shall be done away.
but, when the Perfect has come, that which is incomplete will be done with.
11 When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, to prefer as child, to reason as a child: now I have become a man, I have laid aside the things of the child!
When I was a child, I talked as a child, I felt as a child, I reasoned as a child; now that I am a man, I have done with childish ways.
12 For we see, as yet, through a dim window, obscurely, but, then, face to face: as yet, I gain knowledge, in part, but, then, shall I fully know, even as I was also fully known.
As yet we see, in a mirror, dimly, but then — face to face! As yet my knowledge is incomplete, but then I shall know in full, as I have been fully known.
13 But, now abide—faith, hope, love, —these three; but, the greatest of these, is, love.
Meanwhile Faith, Hope, and Love endure — these three, but the greatest of these is Love.
