1 Corinthians 12:27-13:13

Contemporary English Version

²⁷Together you are the body of Christ. Each one of you is part of his body. ²⁸^(A) First, God chose some people to be apostles and prophets and teachers for the church. But he also chose some to work miracles or heal the sick or help others or be leaders or speak different kinds of languages. ²⁹Not everyone is an apostle. Not everyone is a prophet. Not everyone is a teacher. Not everyone can work miracles. ³⁰Not everyone can heal the sick. Not everyone can speak different kinds of languages. Not everyone can tell what these languages mean. ³¹I want you to desire the best gifts.^[a] So I will show you a much better way.

Love

13 What if I could speak
all languages of humans
    and even of angels?
If I did not love others,
    I would be nothing more
than a noisy gong
    or a clanging cymbal.
²^(B) What if I could prophesy
and understand all mysteries
    and all knowledge?
And what if I had faith
    that moved mountains?
I would be nothing,
    unless I loved others.
³What if I gave away all
    that I owned
and let myself
    be burned alive?^[b]
I would gain nothing,
    unless I loved others.
⁴Love is patient and kind,
never jealous, boastful,
proud, or ⁵    rude.
Love isn't selfish
    or quick tempered.
It doesn't keep a record
    of wrongs that others do.
⁶Love rejoices in the truth,
    but not in evil.
⁷Love is always supportive,
loyal, hopeful,
    and trusting.
⁸Love never fails!

Everyone who prophesies
    will stop,
and unknown languages
will no longer
    be spoken.
All that we know
    will be forgotten.
⁹We don't know everything,
and our prophecies
    are not complete.
¹⁰But what is perfect
    will someday appear,
and what isn't perfect
    will then disappear.

¹¹When we were children,
we thought and reasoned
    as children do.
But when we grew up,
    we quit our childish ways.
¹²Now all we can see of God
is like a cloudy picture
    in a mirror.
Later we will see him
    face to face.
We don't know everything,
    but then we will,
just as God completely
    understands us.
¹³For now there are faith,
    hope, and love.
But of these three,
    the greatest is love.

Footnotes

12.31 I want you to desire the best gifts: Or “You desire the best gifts.”
13.3 and let myself be burned alive: Some manuscripts have “so that I could brag.”