1 Corinthians 13
King James Version · 13 verses
1 Corinthians 13 is Paul's chapter on love, which the King James Version translates as charity. It sits between two chapters about spiritual gifts and was written to a quarrelling church, not to a couple: its point is that eloquence, knowledge, faith and generosity are worth nothing without love. It defines love by what it does, and ends by naming it the greatest of the three things that last.
1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Key verses in 1 Corinthians 13
- 1 Corinthians 13:1 — Sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal: gifted speech without love is just noise.
- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 — Fifteen descriptions of love, nearly all of them verbs, and half of them things it refuses to do.
- 1 Corinthians 13:12 — Through a glass, darkly — an admission that present knowledge is partial.
- 1 Corinthians 13:13 — Faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.