1 Ἐὰν ταῖς γλώσσαις τῶν ἀνθρώπων λαλῶ καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, γέγονα χαλκὸς ἠχῶν ἢ κύμβαλον ἀλαλάζον. | 1 Though I command languages both human and angelic -- if I speak without love, I am no more than agong booming or a cymbal clashing. |
2 καὶ ἐὰν ἔχω προφητείαν καὶ εἰδῶ τὰ μυστήρια πάντα καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γνῶσιν καὶ ἐὰν ἔχω πᾶσαν τὴν πίστιν ὥστε ὄρη μεθιστάναι, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, οὐθέν εἰμι. | 2 And though I have the power of prophecy, to penetrate al mysteries and knowledge, and though Ihave all the faith necessary to move mountains -- if I am without love, I am nothing. |
3 κἂν ψωμίσω πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντά μου καὶ ἐὰν παραδῶ τὸ σῶμά μου ἵνα καυχήσωμαι, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, οὐδὲν ὠφελοῦμαι. | 3 Though I should give away to the poor al that I possess, and even give up my body to be burned -- if Iam without love, it wil do me no good whatever. |
4 Ἡ ἀγάπη μακροθυμεῖ, χρηστεύεται ἡ ἀγάπη, οὐ ζηλοῖ, [ἡ ἀγάπη] οὐ περπερεύεται, οὐ φυσιοῦται, | 4 Love is always patient and kind; love is never jealous; love is not boastful or conceited, |
5 οὐκ ἀσχημονεῖ, οὐ ζητεῖ τὰ ἑαυτῆς, οὐ παροξύνεται, οὐ λογίζεται τὸ κακόν, | 5 it is never rude and never seeks its own advantage, it does not take offence or store up grievances. |
6 οὐ χαίρει ἐπὶ τῇ ἀδικίᾳ, συγχαίρει δὲ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ· | 6 Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but finds its joy in the truth. |
7 πάντα στέγει, πάντα πιστεύει, πάντα ἐλπίζει, πάντα ὑπομένει. | 7 It is always ready to make al owances, to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes. |
8 Ἡ ἀγάπη οὐδέποτε πίπτει· εἴτε δὲ προφητεῖαι, καταργηθήσονται· εἴτε γλῶσσαι, παύσονται· εἴτε γνῶσις, καταργηθήσεται. | 8 Love never comes to an end. But if there are prophecies, they will be done away with; if tongues, theywil fall silent; and if knowledge, it wil be done away with. |
9 ἐκ μέρους γὰρ γινώσκομεν καὶ ἐκ μέρους προφητεύομεν· | 9 For we know only imperfectly, and we prophesy imperfectly; |
10 ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ τὸ τέλειον, τὸ ἐκ μέρους καταργηθήσεται. | 10 but once perfection comes, al imperfect things wil be done away with. |
11 ὅτε ἤμην νήπιος, ἐλάλουν ὡς νήπιος, ἐφρόνουν ὡς νήπιος, ἐλογιζόμην ὡς νήπιος· ὅτε γέγονα ἀνήρ, κατήργηκα τὰ τοῦ νηπίου. | 11 When I was a child, I used to talk like a child, and see things as a child does, and think like a child;but now that I have become an adult, I have finished with al childish ways. |
12 βλέπομεν γὰρ ἄρτι δι’ ἐσόπτρου ἐν αἰνίγματι, τότε δὲ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον· ἄρτι γινώσκω ἐκ μέρους, τότε δὲ ἐπιγνώσομαι καθὼς καὶ ἐπεγνώσθην. | 12 Now we see only reflections in a mirror, mere riddles, but then we shal be seeing face to face. Now Ican know only imperfectly; but then I shal know just as fully as I am myself known. |
13 Νυνὶ δὲ μένει πίστις, ἐλπίς, ἀγάπη, τὰ τρία ταῦτα· μείζων δὲ τούτων ἡ ἀγάπη. | 13 As it is, these remain: faith, hope and love, the three of them; and the greatest of them is love. |