1 Corinthians 13

1 If I can speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but am destitute of Love, I have but become a loud-sounding trumpet or a clanging cymbal.

Though I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have no love, I am become a clanging brass, or a clashing cymbal.

2 If I possess the gift of prophecy and am versed in all mysteries and all knowledge, and have such absolute faith that I can remove mountains, but am destitute of Love, I am nothing.

Though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

3 And if I distribute all my possessions to the poor, and give up my body to be burned, but am destitute of Love, it profits me nothing.

And though I sell all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it avails me nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind. Love knows neither envy nor jealousy. Love is not forward and self-assertive, nor boastful and conceited.

Love suffers long and is kind; love envies not; love makes no parade, is not puffed up,

5 She does not behave unbecomingly, nor seek to aggrandize herself, nor blaze out in passionate anger, nor brood over wrongs.

is not rude, nor selfish, nor easily provoked. Love bears no malice, never rejoices over wrong-doing,

6 She finds no pleasure in injustice done to others, but joyfully sides with the truth.

but rejoices when the truth rejoices.

7 She knows how to be silent. She is full of trust, full of hope, full of patient endurance.

It knows how to be silent, it is trustful, hopeful, patient, enduring.

8 Love never fails. But if there are prophecies, they will be done away with; if there are languages, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be brought to an end.

Love never fails; but though there are prophecies, they will fail; though there are tongues, they will cease; though there is knowledge, it will be superseded.

9 For our knowledge is imperfect, and so is our prophesying;

For our knowing is imperfect, and our prophesying is imperfect;

10 but when the perfect state of things is come, all that is imperfect will be brought to an end.

but when the perfect is come, then the perfect will be done away.

11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, felt like a child, reasoned like a child: when I became a man, I put from me childish ways.

When I was a child I spoke like a child, felt like a child, thought like a child; now that I am become a man, I have done with childish things.

12 For the present we see things as if in a mirror, and are puzzled; but then we shall see them face to face. For the present the knowledge I gain is imperfect; but then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

For now we see as in a mirror, and are baffled, but then face to face; now I know in fragments, but then shall I understand even as I also have been understood.

13 And so there remain Faith, Hope, Love--these three; and of these the greatest is Love.

Faith, Hope, Love endure - these three; but the greatest of these is Love.