1 Corinthians, 13

1. Though I command languages both human and angelic -- if I speak without love, I am no more than a gong booming or a cymbal clashing.

1. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

2. And though I have the power of prophecy, to penetrate all mysteries and knowledge, and though I have all the faith necessary to move mountains -- if I am without love, I am nothing.

2. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

3. Though I should give away to the poor all that I possess, and even give up my body to be burned -- if I am without love, it will do me no good whatever.

3. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4. Love is always patient and kind; love is never jealous; love is not boastful or conceited,

4. Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful;

5. it is never rude and never seeks its own advantage, it does not take offence or store up grievances.

5. it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;

6. Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but finds its joy in the truth.

6. it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right.

7. It is always ready to make allowances, to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes.

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

8. Love never comes to an end. But if there are prophecies, they will be done away with; if tongues, they will fall silent; and if knowledge, it will be done away with.

8. Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

9. For we know only imperfectly, and we prophesy imperfectly;

9. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect;

10. but once perfection comes, all imperfect things will be done away with.

10. but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away.

11. When I was a child, I used to talk like a child, and see things as a child does, and think like a child; but now that I have become an adult, I have finished with all childish ways.

11. When 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.

12. Now we see only reflections in a mirror, mere riddles, but then we shall be seeing face to face. Now I can know only imperfectly; but then I shall know just as fully as I am myself known.

12. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.

13. As it is, these remain: faith, hope and love, the three of them; and the greatest of them is love.

13. So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.