1 I f with the tongues of men and of messengers I speak, and have not love, I have become brass sounding, or a cymbal tinkling;

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

2 a nd if I have prophecy, and know all the secrets, and all the knowledge, and if I have all the faith, so as to remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing;

If 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.

3 a nd if I give away to feed others all my goods, and if I give up my body that I may be burned, and have not love, I am profited nothing.

If 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.

4 T he love is long-suffering, it is kind, the love doth not envy, the love doth not vaunt itself, is not puffed up,

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

5 d oth not act unseemly, doth not seek its own things, is not provoked, doth not impute evil,

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

6 r ejoiceth not over the unrighteousness, and rejoiceth with the truth;

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

7 a ll things it beareth, all it believeth, all it hopeth, all it endureth.

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

8 T he love doth never fail; and whether prophecies, they shall become useless; whether tongues, they shall cease; whether knowledge, it shall become useless;

Love 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.

9 f or in part we know, and in part we prophecy;

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part;

10 a nd when that which is perfect may come, then that which in part shall become useless.

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

11 W hen I was a babe, as a babe I was speaking, as a babe I was thinking, as a babe I was reasoning, and when I have become a man, I have made useless the things of the babe;

When 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.

12 f or we see now through a mirror obscurely, and then face to face; now I know in part, and then I shall fully know, as also I was known;

For 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.

13 a nd now there doth remain faith, hope, love -- these three; and the greatest of these love.

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