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Listen to 1 Corinthians 13
The Greatest Gift
13Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2And though I have the gift of (A)prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, (B)so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3And (C)though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body [a]to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4(D)Love suffers long and is (E)kind; love (F)does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not [b]puffed up; 5does not behave rudely, (G)does not seek its own, is not provoked, [c]thinks no evil; 6(H)does not rejoice in iniquity, but (I)rejoices in the truth; 7(J)bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9(K)For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10But when that which is [d]perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12For (L)now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then (M)face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 13:3 NU so I may boast
- 1 Corinthians 13:4 arrogant
- 1 Corinthians 13:5 keeps no accounts of evil
- 1 Corinthians 13:10 complete
Cross references
- 1 Corinthians 13:2 : Matt. 7:22; 1 Cor. 12:8–10, 28; 14:1
- 1 Corinthians 13:2 : Matt. 17:20; 21:21; Mark 11:23; Luke 17:6
- 1 Corinthians 13:3 : Matt. 6:1, 2
- 1 Corinthians 13:4 : Prov. 10:12; 17:9; 1 Thess. 5:14; [1 Pet. 4:8]
- 1 Corinthians 13:4 : Eph. 4:32
- 1 Corinthians 13:4 : Gal. 5:26
- 1 Corinthians 13:5 : 1 Cor. 10:24; Phil. 2:4
- 1 Corinthians 13:6 : Ps. 10:3; Rom. 1:32
- 1 Corinthians 13:6 : 2 John 4; 3 John 3
- 1 Corinthians 13:7 : Rom. 15:1; Gal. 6:2; 2 Tim. 2:24
- 1 Corinthians 13:9 : 1 Cor. 8:2; 13:12
- 1 Corinthians 13:12 : [2 Cor. 3:18; 5:7]; Phil. 3:12; James 1:23
- 1 Corinthians 13:12 : Gen. 32:30; Num. 12:8; Matt. 18:10; [1 John 3:2]
13If I speak in the tongues[a](A) of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy(B) and can fathom all mysteries(C) and all knowledge,(D) and if I have a faith(E) that can move mountains,(F) but do not have love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor(G) and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b](H) but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient,(I) love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.(J) 5It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,(K) it is not easily angered,(L) it keeps no record of wrongs.(M) 6Love does not delight in evil(N) but rejoices with the truth.(O) 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.(P)
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies,(Q) they will cease; where there are tongues,(R) they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part(S) and we prophesy in part, 10but when completeness comes,(T) what is in part disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood(U) behind me. 12For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror;(V) then we shall see face to face.(W) Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.(X)
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.(Y) But the greatest of these is love.(Z)
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 13:1 Or languages
- 1 Corinthians 13:3 Some manuscripts body to the flames
Cross references
- 1 Corinthians 13:1 : ver 8; S Mk 16:17
- 1 Corinthians 13:2 : ver 8; S Eph 4:11; S Ac 11:27
- 1 Corinthians 13:2 : 1Co 14:2
- 1 Corinthians 13:2 : S 2Co 8:7
- 1 Corinthians 13:2 : 1Co 12:9
- 1 Corinthians 13:2 : Mt 17:20; 21:21
- 1 Corinthians 13:3 : Lk 19:8; S Ac 2:45
- 1 Corinthians 13:3 : Da 3:28
- 1 Corinthians 13:4 : 1Th 5:14
- 1 Corinthians 13:4 : 1Co 5:2
- 1 Corinthians 13:5 : S 1Co 10:24
- 1 Corinthians 13:5 : S Mt 5:22
- 1 Corinthians 13:5 : Job 14:16, 17; Pr 10:12; 17:9; 1Pe 4:8
- 1 Corinthians 13:6 : 2Th 2:12
- 1 Corinthians 13:6 : 2Jn 4; 3Jn 3, 4
- 1 Corinthians 13:7 : ver 8, 13
- 1 Corinthians 13:8 : ver 2
- 1 Corinthians 13:8 : ver 1
- 1 Corinthians 13:9 : ver 12; S 1Co 8:2
- 1 Corinthians 13:10 : Php 3:12
- 1 Corinthians 13:11 : Ps 131:2
- 1 Corinthians 13:12 : Job 26:14; 36:26
- 1 Corinthians 13:12 : Ge 32:30; Job 19:26; 1Jn 3:2
- 1 Corinthians 13:12 : 1Co 8:3; Gal 4:9
- 1 Corinthians 13:13 : Ro 5:2-5; Gal 5:5, 6; Eph 4:2-5; Col 1:4, 5; 1Th 1:3; 5:8; Heb 6:10-12
- 1 Corinthians 13:13 : Mt 22:37-40; 1Co 16:14; Gal 5:6; 1Jn 4:7-12, 16
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
