The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 I may speak in the tongues of men, even angels; but if I lack love, I have become merely blaring brass or a cymbal clanging.
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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.
2 I may have the gift of prophecy, I may fathom all mysteries, know all things, have all faith - enough to move mountains; but if I lack love, I am nothing.
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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.
3 I may give away everything that I own, I may even hand over my body to be burned; but if I lack love, I gain nothing.
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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.
4 Love is patient and kind, not jealous, not boastful,
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Love is never tired of waiting; love is kind; love has no envy; love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride;
5 not proud, rude or selfish, not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs.
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Love's ways are ever fair, it takes no thought for itself; it is not quickly made angry, it takes no account of evil;
6 Love does not gloat over other people's sins but takes its delight in the truth.
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It takes no pleasure in wrongdoing, but has joy in what is true;
7 Love always bears up, always trusts, always hopes, always endures.
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Love has the power of undergoing all things, having faith in all things, hoping all things.
8 Love never ends; but prophecies will pass, tongues will cease, knowledge will pass.
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Though the prophet's word may come to an end, tongues come to nothing, and knowledge have no more value, love has no end.
9 For our knowledge is partial, and our prophecy partial;
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For our knowledge is only in part, and the prophet's word gives only a part of what is true:
10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass.
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But when that which is complete is come, then that which is in part will be no longer necessary.
11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, argued like a child; now that I have become a man, I have finished with childish ways.
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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.
12 For now we see obscurely in a mirror, but then it will be face to face. Now I know partly; then I will know fully, just as God has fully known me.
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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.
13 But for now, three things last trust, hope, love; and the greatest of these is love.
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But now we still have faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.