1 Corinthians 13
13
The Way of Love
1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have #[ch. 14:1, 39; Matt. 7:22]; See Acts 2:18 prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, #Matt. 17:20; Mark 11:23; [Luke 17:6]so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3#[Matt. 6:2] If I give away all I have, and #Dan. 3:28if I deliver up my body to be burned,#13:3 Some manuscripts deliver up my body [to death] that I may boast but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 # [Prov. 10:12; 17:9; 1 Thess. 5:14; 2 Tim. 2:10; 1 Pet. 4:8] Love is patient and #[2 Cor. 6:6; Gal. 5:22; Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:12] kind; love #Acts 7:9 does not envy or boast; it #See ch. 4:6is not arrogant 5or rude. It #See ch. 10:24 does not insist on its own way; it #[Rom. 4:6; 2 Cor. 5:19]is not irritable or resentful;#13:5 Greek irritable and does not count up wrongdoing 6it #[Rom. 1:32; 2 Thess. 2:12] does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but #[2 John 4; 3 John 3, 4]rejoices with the truth. 7#ch. 9:12 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, #[See ver. 4 above]endures all things.
8Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9For #[ch. 8:2]we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but #[John 15:15]when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12For #James 1:23; [Num. 12:8; Job 36:26; 2 Cor. 3:18; 5:7] now we see in a mirror dimly, but #1 John 3:2; See Matt. 5:8 then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as #See ch. 8:3I have been fully known.
13So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Currently Selected:
1 Corinthians 13: ESV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Sign up to receive news and updates about the ESV:
1 Corinthians 13
13
Love
1What if I could speak
all languages of humans
and of angels?
If I did not love others,
I would be nothing more
than a noisy gong
or a clanging cymbal.
2What if I could prophesy#Mt 17.20; 21.21; Mk 11.23.
and understand all secrets
and all knowledge?
And what if I had faith
that moved mountains?
I would be nothing,
unless I loved others.
3What if I gave away all
that I owned
and let myself
be burnt alive?#13.3 and let myself be burnt alive: Some manuscripts have “so that I could boast.”
I would gain nothing,
unless I loved others.
4Love is kind and patient,
never jealous, boastful,
proud, or 5rude.
Love isn't selfish
or quick-tempered.
It doesn't keep a record
of wrongs that others do.
6Love rejoices in the truth,
but not in evil.
7Love is always supportive,
loyal, hopeful,
and trusting.
8Love never fails!
Everyone who prophesies
will stop,
and unknown languages
will no longer
be spoken.
All that we know
will be forgotten.
9We don't know everything,
and our prophecies
are not complete.
10But what is perfect
will some day appear,
and what isn't perfect
will then disappear.
11When we were children,
we thought and reasoned
as children do.
But when we grew up,
we stopped our childish ways.
12Now all we can see of God
is like a cloudy picture
in a mirror.
Later we will see him
face to face.
We don't know everything,
but then we will,
just as God completely
understands us.
13For now there are faith,
hope, and love.
But of these three,
the greatest is love.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012