1 Corinthians 13
1 If I make use of the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am like sounding brass, or a loud-tongued bell.
If I can speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but am destitute of Love, I have but become a loud-sounding trumpet or a clanging cymbal.
2 And if I have a prophet's power, and have knowledge of all secret things; and if I have all faith, by which mountains may be moved from their place, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I possess the gift of prophecy and am versed in all mysteries and all knowledge, and have such absolute faith that I can remove mountains, but am destitute of Love, I am nothing.
3 And if I give all my goods to the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it is of no profit to me.
And if I distribute all my possessions to the poor, and give up my body to be burned, but am destitute of Love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love is never tired of waiting; love is kind; love has no envy; love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride;
Love is patient and kind. Love knows neither envy nor jealousy. Love is not forward and self-assertive, nor boastful and conceited.
5 Love's ways are ever fair, it takes no thought for itself; it is not quickly made angry, it takes no account of evil;
She does not behave unbecomingly, nor seek to aggrandize herself, nor blaze out in passionate anger, nor brood over wrongs.
6 It takes no pleasure in wrongdoing, but has joy in what is true;
She finds no pleasure in injustice done to others, but joyfully sides with the truth.
7 Love has the power of undergoing all things, having faith in all things, hoping all things.
She knows how to be silent. She is full of trust, full of hope, full of patient endurance.
8 Though the prophet's word may come to an end, tongues come to nothing, and knowledge have no more value, love has no end.
Love never fails. But if there are prophecies, they will be done away with; if there are languages, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be brought to an end.
9 For our knowledge is only in part, and the prophet's word gives only a part of what is true:
For our knowledge is imperfect, and so is our prophesying;
10 But when that which is complete is come, then that which is in part will be no longer necessary.
but when the perfect state of things is come, all that is imperfect will be brought to an end.
11 When I was a child, I made use of a child's language, I had a child's feelings and a child's thoughts: now that I am a man, I have put away the things of a child.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, felt like a child, reasoned like a child: when I became a man, I put from me childish ways.
12 For now we see things in a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now my knowledge is in part; then it will be complete, even as God's knowledge of me.
For the present we see things as if in a mirror, and are puzzled; but then we shall see them face to face. For the present the knowledge I gain is imperfect; but then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 But now we still have faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
And so there remain Faith, Hope, Love--these three; and of these the greatest is Love.
