1 If I were to speak in the languages of people and messengersa but not have love, I’ve become a crashing gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I were to hold the role of speaking inspired messages and know all mysteries and all knowledge and if I were to have complete faithful trustb so as to move mountains but not have love, I am no one significant.c 3 And if I feed people with everything that belongs to me, and if I hand over my body—which would be boast-worthyd—but don’t have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is actively kind, it does not posture as a rival. Love does not brag, it is not self-important, 5 it is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not irritable,e it does not calculate harm,f 6 it does not celebrate at injustice, but it truly celebrates together.g 7 It holds out against everything, faithfully trusts everything, hopes everything, and endures everything.
8 Love never falls.h But inspired messages?i They will be rendered obsolete. Languages? They will stop.j Knowledge? It will be rendered obsolete. 9 You see, we know in part, and we speak inspired messages in part, 10 but when the complete arrives, what is partial will be rendered obsolete.k 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. Once I’ve become an adult, I have rendered the things of a child obsolete. 12 Right now, we see something vaguely in a mirrorl but at that time, we’ll see face to face. Right now, I know in part, but at that time, I will know well just as I have been known well. 13 But for now, these three remain: faithful trust, hope, and love, but the most important of these is love.
FOOTNOTES:
a The word angelos means ‘messenger,’ possibly used for spirit beings, but also used for human agents of God (or other people) and sometimes even for natural phenomena. It conveys the meaning of someone authorized to speak—or act—on behalf of another. If the reader wants to read these messengers (acting on God’s behalf) as celestial beings, great. If as humans, great. The word angelos, even for spirit-beings, is a job title, not a ‘species’ classification. The work of Michael S. Heiser is a great source of information on this topic.
b Traditionally, ‘faith.’ The Greek word pistis carries a reciprocal relationship between the concepts of trust and following through on a commitment based on that trust. The full meaning is difficult to capture in one English word. Sometimes, the concept of ‘trust’ seems to be the most prominent part, other times ‘commitment’ and other times ‘faithfulness’ or ‘allegiance.’ ‘Faithfulness’ is the closest word to carrying the full meaning, but it should be understood that these other meanings are all in the background, informing what kind of faithfulness is in view, and in this case, the context suggests trust plays a prominent role, warranting a combination of the words, ‘faithful trust.’
c Literally, “I am nothing”
d Literally, ‘so that I could boast.’ The phrase is indicating that giving up one’s body for others would be a legitimate reason for seeking credit, as opposed to earlier discussions in the book where the boasting people do is about superficial things like being connected with one person rather than another (1 Corinthians 4:7) but that “boasting” about giving one’s own body would be worthy of boasting if anything is.
e Or ‘provoked’ or ‘incited’
f The Greek ou logizetai to kakon literally means “does not reckon harm.” The verb logizetai implies intentional calculation rather than mere remembrance, and to kakon refers to harm or wrongdoing. This translation highlights that love does not strategize harm to others for one’s own benefit or even retaliation for wrongs experienced from others but instead chooses a posture of restoration.
g The Greek sunchairei de tē alētheia literally means "it rejoices together with the truth." The verb sunchairei (sun– “with” + chairei– “rejoice”) emphasizes a shared joy rather than an individual response. This stands in direct contrast to the previous phrase—love “does not celebrate at injustice” (ou chairei epi tē adikia). Love refuses to take pleasure in people being harmed, whether through rivalry, negligence, or retaliation, but instead joins in genuine, communal joy when truth and restorative justice prevail. Grammatically, while tē alētheia is in the dative case and is often rendered as "with the truth" or "in the truth," it can also function adverbially, modifying the manner of rejoicing rather than functioning as indirect object.
h The Greek Hē agapē oudepote piptei literally means "Love never falls." The verb piptō typically means "to fall" in a physical or figurative sense, often implying collapse, ruin, coming to an end, or death. Many translations render this as "Love never fails," interpreting piptei metaphorically as failure or coming to an end. However, "falls" maintains the more direct meaning of the verb while evoking the image of love as something that remains standing, unshaken and enduring. In the context of the passage, where love is described as holding out, trusting, hoping, and enduring all things—it does not collapse under pressure, give way to rivalry or harm, or cease to be.
i The Greek word prophēteía, traditionally translated as "prophecy," does not mean predicting the future, as many Westerners think of it. The biblical sense emphasizes speaking a message inspired by God for the encouragement, strengthening, and instruction of the community. It connects with the biblical portrayal of prophets as God’s spokespersons, rather than mere predictors of future events.
j Or ‘cease’ or ‘rest’
k The Greek verb katargēthēsetai comes from katargeō, meaning "to make ineffective, render inoperative, abolish, or nullify." Many translations render it as "will cease" or "will pass away," but "will be rendered obsolete" more precisely conveys the sense of something losing its function or relevance rather than simply disappearing.
l The mirrors of the time were made of polished metal, not glass, and did not provide the same clear picture that mirrors do today.