1 si linguis hominum loquar et angelorum
caritatem autem non habeam
factus sum velut aes sonans aut cymbalum tinniens
2 et si habuero prophetiam
et noverim mysteria omnia et omnem scientiam
et habuero omnem fidem ita ut montes transferam
caritatem autem non habuero nihil sum
3 et si distribuero in cibos pauperum omnes facultates meas
et si tradidero corpus meum ut ardeam
caritatem autem non habuero nihil mihi prodest
4 caritas patiens est benigna est
caritas non aemulatur non agit perperam non inflatur
5 non est ambitiosa non quaerit quae sua sunt
non inritatur non cogitat malum
6 non gaudet super iniquitatem congaudet autem veritati
7 omnia suffert omnia credit omnia sperat omnia sustinet
8 caritas numquam excidit
sive prophetiae evacuabuntur
sive linguae cessabunt sive scientia destruetur
9 ex parte enim cognoscimus et ex parte prophetamus
10 cum autem venerit quod perfectum est
evacuabitur quod ex parte est
11 cum essem parvulus loquebar ut parvulus
sapiebam ut parvulus cogitabam ut parvulus
quando factus sum vir
evacuavi quae erant parvuli
12 videmus nunc per speculum in enigmate
tunc autem facie ad faciem
nunc cognosco ex parte
tunc autem cognoscam sicut et cognitus sum
13 nunc autem manet
fides spes caritas
tria haec
maior autem his est caritas
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And 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. 3 And 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. 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Charity 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. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When 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. 12 For 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. 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.