1 CORINTHIANS ~Chapter 13
If I speak with the
tongue of men and even of angels, but have not love, I am like a noisy gong or
a clanging cymbal. And, if I could prophesy, and could understand all the
mysteries, and knew everything, and if I had perfect faith so that I could
remove mountains, but lacked love – I would be nothing. Again, if I gave away
all my goods to buy food for the poor, and gave my body to be burned, yet had
no love, it would be no profit to me.
Love is patient.
Love is kind. Love is not envious, or vain-glorious, or arrogant. Love is not
unmannerly, does not pursue selfish aims, is not quickly irritated, does not
think evil. Love takes no pleasure in wickedness, but rejoices in the truth.
Love is considerate in all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things.
Love never fails.
Prophesies will come to an end, speaking in tongues will cease. Knowledge will
pass away. For our knowledge is only in part, and our prophesies are likewise
imperfect. But, when the perfect comes, then the imperfect will disappear. So,
when I was a child I spoke as a child, I thought as a child, I reasoned as a
child; but when I became a man I gave up my childish ways. At present, we seem
to see only blurred reflections in a mirror, but then it will be face to face.
Now, I know only in part – but then, I shall understand fully, even as Elohim
has fully understood me. And now we still have faith, hope, love … these 3
remain, but the greatest of all these is love.
