Love

1 Corinthians 13 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.
²What 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.
³What if I gave away all that I owned
and let myself be burned alive?
I would gain nothing, unless I loved others.
⁴Love is kind and patient,
never jealous, boastful, proud, or ⁵rude.
Love isn't selfish or quick tempered.
It doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do.
⁶Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil.
⁷Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting.
⁸Love never fails!

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

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