1 C hiar dacă aş vorbi în limbi omeneşti şi îngereşti, şi n'aş avea dragoste, sînt o aramă sunătoare sau un chimval zîngănitor.

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 Ş i chiar dacă aş avea darul proorociei, şi aş cunoaşte toate tainele şi toată ştiinţa; chiar dacă aş avea toată credinţa aşa încît să mut şi munţii, şi n'aş avea dragoste, nu sînt nimic.

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 Ş i chiar dacă mi-aş împărţi toată averea pentru hrana săracilor, chiar dacă mi-aş da trupul să fie ars, şi n'aş avea dragoste, nu-mi foloseşte la nimic.

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 D ragostea este îndelung răbdătoare, este plină de bunătate: dragostea nu pizmuieşte; dragostea nu se laudă, nu se umflă de mîndrie,

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 n u se poartă necuviincios, nu caută folosul său, nu se mînie, nu se gîndeşte la rău,

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 n u se bucură de neleguire, ci se bucură de adevăr,

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

7 a copere totul, crede totul, nădăjduieşte totul, sufere totul.

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 D ragostea nu va pieri niciodată. Proorociile se vor sfîrşi; limbile vor înceta; cunoştinţa va avea sfîrşit.

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 C ăci cunoaştem în parte, şi proorocim în parte;

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

10 d ar cînd va veni ce este desăvîrşit, acest,,în parte`` se va sfîrşi.

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the complete and perfect (total) comes, the incomplete and imperfect will vanish away (become antiquated, void, and superseded).

11 C înd eram copil, vorbeam ca un copil, simţeam ca un copil, gîndeam ca un copil; cînd m'am făcut om mare, am lepădat ce era copilăresc.

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 A cum, vedem ca într'o oglindă, în chip întunecos; dar atunci, vom vedea faţă în faţă. Acum, cunosc în parte; dar atunci, voi cunoaşte deplin, aşa cum am fost şi eu cunoscut pe deplin.

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 A cum dar rămîn aceste trei: credinţa, nădejdea şi dragostea; dar cea mai mare dintre ele este dragostea.

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