1 I f I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.

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 I f I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing.

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 I f I dole out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing.

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 L ove is patient and is kind; love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,

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 d oesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil;

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 d oesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

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

7 b ears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

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 L ove never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with.

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 F or we know in part, and we prophesy in part;

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

10 b ut when that which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with.

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the complete and perfect (total) comes, the incomplete and imperfect will vanish away (become antiquated, void, and superseded).

11 W hen I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have become a man, I have put away childish things.

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 F or now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also fully known.

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 B ut now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.

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