1 Corinthians 13 - International Standard Version (ISV)

The Supremacy of Love

13 If I speak in the languages of humans and angels but have no love, I have become a reverberating gong or a clashing cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can understand all secrets and every form of knowledge, and if I have absolute faith so as to move mountains but have no love, I am nothing. 3 Even if I give away everything that I have and sacrifice myself,[a] but have no love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is always patient;
love is always kind;
love is never envious
or arrogant with pride.

Nor is she conceited,
5 and she is never rude;
she never thinks just of herself
or ever gets annoyed.

She never is resentful;
6 is never glad with sin;
she’s always glad to side with truth,
and pleased that truth will win.[b]

7 She bears up under everything;
believes the best in all;
there is no limit to her hope,
and never will she fall.

8 Love never fails. Now if there are prophecies, they will be done away with. If there are languages, they will cease. If there is knowledge, it will be done away with. 9 For what we know is incomplete and what we prophesy is incomplete. 10 But when what is complete[c] comes, then what is incomplete will be done away with.

11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up my childish ways. 12 Now we see only an indistinct image in a mirror, but then we will be face to face. Now what I know is incomplete, but then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.

13 Right now three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 13:3 Other mss. read sacrifice my body to be burned; or myself so that I may boast
  2. 1 Corinthians 13:6 The Gk. lacks shall win
  3. 1 Corinthians 13:10 Or perfect

You Might Also Like:

1 Corinthians 13 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

13 If with the tongues of men and of messengers I speak, and have not love, I have become brass sounding, or a cymbal tinkling; 2 and 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; 3 and if...
Read More

1 Corinthians 13 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

13 If I speak with tongues of men and of angels, and I have not charity, I am made as brass sounding, or a cymbal tinkling. 2 And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries, and all knowing [and all knowing, or science], and if I have all faith, so that I move hills from their place [so that I bear...
Read More

1 Corinthians 13 - Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)

13 If I talk with the tongues of men and even of angels, but if I do not love people, then I am only like the sound of a big horn or a loud bell. 2 If I speak words from God, if I can understand all secrets, and know everything, if I can move mountains by believing, but if I do not love people, I am...
Read More

1 Corinthians 13 - World English Bible (WEB)

13 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 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 If I ...
Read More

1 Corinthians 13 - The Voice (VOICE)

Gifts of the Spirit, which are intended to strengthen the church body, often divide the body because members of the church elevate those who possess the more visible gifts over those whose gifts function in the background. In fact, this is the very problem facing the Corinthians. So while talking ab...
Read More

1 Corinthians 13 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

The Superior Way of Love13 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angelsbut have not love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecyand know all mysteries and all knowledge,and if I have all faith so as to remove mountainsbut have not love, I am nothing. 3 ...
Read More

1 Corinthians 13 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Gift of Love13 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 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 If ...
Read More

1 Corinthians 13 - Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)

13 Though I speak with the tongues of man and angels, and do not have love, I am as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I may have the gift of prophecy, and know all secrets and all knowledge; indeed, if I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and do not have love, I am not...
Read More

1 Corinthians 13 - New Testament for Everyone (NTE)

13 If I speak in human languages, or evenin those of angels, but do not have love,then I’ve become a clanging gong or elsea clashing cymbal. 2 And if I should haveprophetic gifts, and know all mysteries,all knowledge, too; have faith, to move the mountains,but have no love – I’m nothing. 3 If I gi...
Read More

1 Corinthians 13 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Gift of Love13 If I speak in the tongues of humans and of angels but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 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 do not have love, I am nothing.(A)3...
Read More

1 Corinthians 13 - New Matthew Bible (NMB)

The nature and attributes of love.13 Though I spoke with the tongues of men and angels, and yet had no love, I would be even as sounding brass, or as a ringing cymbal. 2 And though I could prophesy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge – yea if I had all faith, so that I could move mountai...
Read More

1 Corinthians 13 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Love Is the Greatest13 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I coul...
Read More

1 Corinthians 13 - New Life Version (NLV)

Love—the Greatest of All13 I may be able to speak the languages of men and even of angels, but if I do not have love, it will sound like noisy brass. 2 If I have the gift of speaking God’s Word and if I understand all secrets, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I know all things and if I have t...
Read More

1 Corinthians 13 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Greatest Gift13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And 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 mountai...
Read More