1 What if I could speak
all languages of humans and of angels?
   If I did not love others,
I would be nothing more than a noisy gong
   or a clanging cymbal.
2 What if I could prophesy
   and understand all secrets and all knowledge?
And what if I had faith that moved mountains?
   I would be nothing, unless I loved others.
3 What if I gave away all that I owned
and let myself be burnt alive?
   I would gain nothing, unless I loved others.
4 Love is kind and patient,
   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.
6 Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil.
7 Love is always supportive, loyal,
   hopeful, and trusting.
8    Love never fails!

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

11 When we were children,
   we thought and reasoned as children do.
But when we grew up, we quit our childish ways.
12 Now 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.
13 For now there are faith, hope, and love.
   But of these three, the greatest is love.