1 I may be able to speak the languages of men and even of angels, but if I do not have love, it will sound like noisy brass.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

2 I f I have the gift of speaking God’s Word and if I understand all secrets, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I know all things and if I have the gift of faith so I can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

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, but have not love, I am nothing.

3 I f I give everything I have to feed poor people and if I give my body to be burned, but do not have love, it will not help me.

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

4 L ove does not give up. Love is kind. Love is not jealous. Love does not put itself up as being important. Love has no pride.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

5 L ove does not do the wrong thing. Love never thinks of itself. Love does not get angry. Love does not remember the suffering that comes from being hurt by someone.

does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

6 L ove is not happy with sin. Love is happy with the truth.

does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

7 L ove takes everything that comes without giving up. Love believes all things. Love hopes for all things. Love keeps on in all things.

bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 L ove never comes to an end. The gift of speaking God’s Word will come to an end. The gift of speaking in special sounds will be stopped. The gift of understanding will come to an end.

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

9 F or we only know a part now, and we speak only a part.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part.

10 W hen everything is perfect, then we will not need these gifts that are not perfect.

But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

11 W hen I was a child, I spoke like a child. I thought like a child. I understood like a child. Now I am a man. I do not act like a child anymore.

When I was a child, I spoke 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 N ow that which we see is as if we were looking in a broken mirror. But then we will see everything. Now I know only a part. But then I will know everything in a perfect way. That is how God knows me right now.

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

13 A nd now we have these three: faith and hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.

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