The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians

⭑ Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 13 -

If I could speak so that I could amaze and persuade people to do what I wanted, or if I could speak the language of angels, but if I did not love people, all my talking would be worth less than a noisy gong or a cymbal that only clangs.

If I could proclaim messages for God, and if I could explain secret truths about God, and if I trusted in God so much that I could move a mountain, but if I did not love people, I would be worth nothing.

If I gave away all I own to feed the poor, or if I sacrificed myself to be burned to rescue someone else, but if I did not love people, I would gain nothing.

If you truly love others, you will endure hardships with joy. If you truly love, you will be kind to others. If you truly love, you will not resent that other people possess things you do not have. If you truly love, you will not boast about yourself or be proud.

If you truly love others, you will not abuse them. You will not live to please yourself. No one will be able to make you angry quickly. You will not keep track of the wrong things people have done.

If you truly love others, you will not be happy if anyone does wicked things; instead, you will be happy when people are faithful to God.

If you truly love others, you will endure everything that happens. You will trust that God will do the best things for people. You will trust in God regardless of what happens. You will obey God regardless of what hardships you are facing.

If you truly love, you will not stop loving. Those who are able to speak God’s messages, speak in strange languages, or know hidden truths, do these things only for a while. One day they will stop doing these things.

Now, in this life, we know only a small part of all there is to know. Those who proclaim God’s messages do so only partially.

But when things are complete, everything that is partial or incomplete will end.

When I was a small child, I talked as a child talks, I thought as a child thinks, and I made decisions as a child makes decision. But when I became an adult, I stopped acting like a child, and I started acting like an adult.

What we understand about Messiah now, we understand very imperfectly, not well at all. But when Messiah returns, we will see him face to face. Now we know only part of what is true. But then we will know him fully, just as he knows us fully.

It is important that we trust in Messiah now. It is important that we are certain that he will do for us everything that he has promised. And it is important that we love him and each other. But the greatest of these three things is love.

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.

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.

If I give away all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing.

Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,

doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil;

doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part;

but when that which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have become a man, I have put away childish things.

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also fully known.

But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.