1 إ نْ كُنْتُ أتَكَلَّمُ بِلُغاتِ البَشَرِ وَالمَلائِكَةِ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَدَيَّ مَحَبَّةٌ، أكُونُ مِثلَ جَرَسٍ مُزعِجٍ أوْ صَنجٍ مُنَفِّرٍ.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God’s love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

2 و َإنْ كانَتْ لِي مَوهِبَةُ النُّبُوَّةِ، وَكُنتُ أعرِفُ كُلَّ الأسرارِ وَكُلَّ مَعرِفَةٍ، وَكانَ لِي الإيمانُ الكافِي لِأُحَرِّكَ الجِبالَ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَدَيَّ مَحَبَّةٌ، فَأنا لا شَيءَ.

And if I have prophetic powers ( the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God’s love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody).

3 و َإنْ كُنتُ أتَصَدَّقُ بِكُلِّ ما أملِكُ لإطعامِ المُحتاجِينَ، وَإنْ ضَحَّيتُ بِجَسَدِي إلَىْ حَدِّ الافْتِخارِ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَدَيَّ مَحَبَّةٌ، فَلا أستَفِيدُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيئاً.

Even if I dole out all that I have food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or in order that I may glory, but have not love (God’s love in me), I gain nothing.

4 ا لمَحَبَّةُ تَصبِرُ. المَحَبَّةُ تُشفِقُ. المَحَبَّةُ لا تَحسِدُ. المَحَبَّةُ لا تَتَباهَى. المَحَبَّةُ لا تَنتَفِخُ بِالكِبرِياءِ،

Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.

5 و َلا تَتَصَرَّفُ دُونَ لَياقَةٍ. المَحَبَّةُ لا تَسعَى إلَى تَحقِيقِ غاياتِها الشَّخصِيَّةِ. المَحَبَّةُ لَيسَتْ سَرِيعَةَ الاهتِياجِ، وَلا تَحفَظُ سِجِلّاً لِلإساءاتِ.

It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it.

6 ا لمَحَبَّةُ لا تَفرَحُ بِالشَّرِّ، بَلْ تَفرَحُ بِالحَقِّ.

It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.

7 ا لمَحَبَّةُ تَحمِي دائِماً، وَتُؤمِنُ دائِماً، وَتَرجُو دائِماً، وَتَحتَمِلُ دائِماً.

Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything.

8 ا لمَحَبَّةُ لا تَمُوتُ. أمّا مَواهِبُ النُّبُوَّةِ، فَسَتُوضَعُ جانِباً، وَمَواهِبُ التَّكَلُّمِ بِلُغاتٍ أُخْرَى، سَتَتَوَقَّفُ. وَمَوهِبَةُ المَعرِفَةِ سَتُوضَعُ جانِباً.

Love never fails. As for prophecy ( the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

9 ف َمَعرِفَتُنا الآنَ جُزئِيَّةٌ، وَنُبُوَّاتُنا جُزئِيَّةٌ.

For our knowledge is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect), and our prophecy (our teaching) is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect).

10 ل َكِنْ حِينَ يَأْتِي الكامِلُ، سَيُلغَى ما هُوَ جُزئِيٌّ.

But when the complete and perfect (total) comes, the incomplete and imperfect will vanish away (become antiquated, void, and superseded).

11 ع ِنْدَما كُنتُ طِفلاً، كُنتُ أتَكَلَّمُ كَطِفلٍ، وَأُفَكِّرُ كَطِفلٍ، وَأفهَمُ كَطِفلٍ. أمّا الآنَ، وَقَدْ صِرتُ رَجُلاً ناضِجاً، فَقَدِ انتَهَيتُ مِنْ طُرُقِ الطُّفُولَةِ.

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside.

12 ف َنَحنُ الآنَ نَرَى انعِكاساً باهِتاً فِي مِرآةٍ، لَكِنْ عِندَما يَأْتِي الكامِلُ، سَنَرَى وَجهاً لِوَجهٍ. الآنَ مَعرِفَتِي جُزئِيَّةٌ، لَكِنْ حِينَئِذٍ سَأعرِفُ كَما يَعرِفُنِي اللهُ.

For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection '> in a riddle or enigma], but then we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known and understood '> by God].

13 أ مّا الآنَ، فَلتَثبُتْ هَذِهِ الأُمُورُ الثَّلاثَةُ: الإيمانُ وَالرَّجاءُ وَالمَحَبَّةُ، لَكِنَّ أعظَمَها المَحَبَّةُ.

And so faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.