| Bible in Basic English (BBE) |
New International Version (NIV) |
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1 If I make use of the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am like sounding brass, or a loud-tongued bell.
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1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
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2 And if I have a prophet's power, and have knowledge of all secret things; and if I have all faith, by which mountains may be moved from their place, but have not love, I am nothing.
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2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
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3 And if I give all my goods to the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it is of no profit to me.
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3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
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4 Love is never tired of waiting; love is kind; love has no envy; love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride;
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4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
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5 Love's ways are ever fair, it takes no thought for itself; it is not quickly made angry, it takes no account of evil;
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5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
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6 It takes no pleasure in wrongdoing, but has joy in what is true;
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6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
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7 Love has the power of undergoing all things, having faith in all things, hoping all things.
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7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
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8 Though the prophet's word may come to an end, tongues come to nothing, and knowledge have no more value, love has no end.
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8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
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9 For our knowledge is only in part, and the prophet's word gives only a part of what is true:
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9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
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10 But when that which is complete is come, then that which is in part will be no longer necessary.
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10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
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11 When I was a child, I made use of a child's language, I had a child's feelings and a child's thoughts: now that I am a man, I have put away the things of a child.
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11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
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12 For now we see things in a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now my knowledge is in part; then it will be complete, even as God's knowledge of me.
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12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
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13 But now we still have faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
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13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
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| The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain. (The Bible in Basic English Version Online) |
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online) |
