1 S i yo hablara lenguas humanas y angélicas, pero no tengo amor, vengo a ser como bronce que resuena, o címbalo que retiñe.

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.

2 Y si tuviese profecía, y entendiese todos los misterios y toda ciencia, y si tuviese tanta fe como para trasladar montañas, pero no tengo amor, nada soy.

If 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.

3 Y si repartiese todos mis bienes para dar de comer a los pobres, y si entregase mi cuerpo para ser quemado, pero no tengo amor, de nada me sirve.

If 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.

4 E l amor es paciente, es servicial; el amor no tiene envidia, el amor no es jactancioso, no se engríe;

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

5 n o hace nada indecoroso, no busca su propio interés, no se irrita, no toma en cuenta el mal;

Love 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.

6 n o se goza de la injusticia, mas se goza de la verdad.

Love is not happy with sin. Love is happy with the truth.

7 T odo lo excusa, todo lo cree, todo lo espera, todo lo soporta.

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

8 E l amor no caduca jamás; pero las profecías caerán en desuso, y cesarán las lenguas, y el conocimiento actual quedará fuera de uso.

Love 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.

9 P orque en parte conocemos, y en parte profetizamos;

For we only know a part now, and we speak only a part.

10 m as cuando venga lo perfecto, entonces lo que es en parte quedará fuera de uso.

When everything is perfect, then we will not need these gifts that are not perfect.

11 C uando yo era niño, hablaba como niño, pensaba como niño, razonaba como niño; mas cuando me hice hombre, dejé a un lado lo que era de niño.

When 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.

12 P ues ahora vemos mediante espejo, borrosamente; mas entonces veremos cara a cara. Ahora conozco en parte; pero entonces conoceré tan cabalmente como soy conocido.

Now 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.

13 Y ahora, permanecen la fe, la esperanza y el amor, estos tres; pero el mayor de ellos es el amor.

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