1 Cor 13:8-13

Only love has no limits. In contrast, our predictions can fail, our communication can fail, and our knowledge can fail. For our knowledge is patchwork, and our predictive power is limited. But when perfection comes, all patchwork will disappear.


The following is copied from http://web.mit.edu/afs/athena.mit.edu/activity/c/csa/www/notes/1cor13.html

1 Cor 13:8a

"Love never ends;" (RSV)
"Love will never come to an end" (NEB)
"Love never fails." (NIV)
"Love shall never pass away" (Con)
"Charity never faileth:" (KJV)
"Love never disappears" (Mof)

1 Cor 13:8b

"There are gifts of prophecy, but they will be ended." (NCV)
"But where there are prophecies, they will cease;" (NIV)
"but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail;" (KJV)
"...                              it will be superseded" (Mof)
"as for prophecies, they will pass away;" (RSV)
"but whether prophecies, they stall be done away;" (DBY)
"The time will come when we outgrow prophecy" (Knox)
"But, whether it be the gift of preaching, it will be done with" (TCNT)
"Prophecies?  They will be disproven." (UNT)
"and whether [there be] prophecies, they shall become useless;" (YLT)

1 Cor 13:8c

"There are gifts of speaking in different languages,
 but those gifts will stop." (NCV)
"where there are tongues, they will be stilled;" (NIV)
"as for tongues, they will cease;" (RSV)
"If now exist ecstatic speakings, they will cease" (Wms)
"Or strange languages, they will stop" (Beck)

1 Cor 13:8d

"There is the gift of knowledge, but it will come to an end." (NCV)
"where there is knowledge, it will pass away." (NIV)
"whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away." (KJV)
"...                         it will soon be set aside" (Wms)
"as for knowledge, it will be superseded" (Mof)
"knowledge will be swept away" (Knox)
"Whether gaining of knowledge It shall be done away" (Rhm)
"whether knowledge, it shall become useless;" (YLT)

1 Cor 13:9a

"For in part we know," (YLT)
"For we know in part" (NIV)
"we only know bit by bit" (Mof)
"For our knowledge is fragmentary" (Ber)
"Our knowledge, our prophecy, are only glimpses of the truth" (Knox)
"We learn only a part of anything" (Beck)
"The reason is that our knowledge [is not perfect]" (NCV)

1 Cor 13:9b

"and in part we prophecy;" (YLT)
"and we prophesy in part," (NIV)
"and the prophet's word gives only a part of what is true" (Bas)
"and our ability to prophesy are not perfect." (NCV)
"and what we prophesy is incomplete" (Wms)
"and our preaching is incomplete" (TCNT)

1 Cor 13:10a

"But as soon as that which is complete is come" (Rhm)
"But when that which is perfect is come," (KJV)
"But when perfection comes," (NIV)
"but when the perfect comes," (RSV)
"when wholeness comes" (NEB)
"when the time of fulfillment comes" (Knox)
"but when that which is perfect has come," (DBY)
"and when that which is perfect may come," (YLT)

1 Cor 13:10b

"that is the end of the incomplete" (Phi)
"the imperfect disappears." (NIV)
"the things that are not perfect will end." (NCV)
"the imperfect will pass away." (RSV)
"then the fragmentary becomes antiquated" (Ber)
"the partial will be abolished" (UNT)
"then that which is in part shall be done away." (KJV)
"then that which [is] in part shall become useless." (YLT)
"the imperfect will be superseded" (Mof)
"then the need for these inadequate special gifts will come to an end" (Tay)

1 Cor 13:11a

"When I was a child, I talked like a child," (NIV)
"When I was a child, I spoke like a child," (RSV)
"When I was a child, I spake as a child," (KJV)
"...                 I used to speak as a child," (Rhm)
"When I was a baby, I talked like a baby," (UNT)
"When I was a babe, as a babe I was speaking" (YLT)

1 Cor 13:11b

"I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child." (NIV)
"[I used] to prefer as a child.  To reason as a child" (Rhm)
"I understood as a child, I thought as a child:" (KJV)
"think like a child, plan like a child" (Beck)
"as a babe I was thinking, as a babe I was reasoning," (YLT)
"felt like a baby, thought like a baby." (UNT)
"I entertained child interests" (Ber)

1 Cor 13:11c

"When I became a man," (NIV)
"but on becoming a man" (Ber)
"When I grew up," (NEB)
"Now that I'm a man," (UNT)
"and when I have become a man," (YLT)

1 Cor 13:11d

"I had outgrown childish ways" (Knox)
"I put childish ways behind me." (NIV)
"I've put the baby things away." (UNT)
"I gave up childish ways." (RSV)
"I stopped those childish ways" (NCV)
"I had finished with childish things" (NEB)
"I was through with childish ways" (Ber)
"I had done with what belonged to the child." (DBY)
"I have made useless the things of the babe;" (YLT)

1 Cor 13:12a

"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror;" (NIV)
"It is the same with us.  
 Now we see a dim reflection, as if we were looking into a mirror," (NCV)
"At present we seem to see only blurred reflections in a mirror" (Nor)
"As yet we see, in a mirror, dimly" (TCNT)
"We can see and understand only a little about God now,
 as if we were peering at His reflection in a poor mirror" (Tay)
"For now we see through a glass, darkly;" (KJV)
"For now we see through a dim window obscurely," (DBY)
"You see, for now we look as if in a mirror, shrouded in mystery;" (UNT)
"For now we see in a mirror, and are baffled" (Mon)
"At present we only see the baffling reflections in a mirror" (Mof)

1 Cor 13:12b

"but then we shall see clearly." (NCV)
"but then we shall see face to face." (NIV)
"and then face to face;" (YLT)
"but then -- face to face!" (TCNT)
"but someday we are going to see him in His completeness, face to face" (Tay)

1 Cor 13:12c

"Now I know in part;" (NIV)
"Now I partly discern;" (UNT)
"now I know in fragments" (Mon)
"at present I am learning bit by bit" (Mof)
"Now I know only a part," (NCV)
"now I know partially," (DBY)
"At present all I know is a little fraction of the truth," (Phi)
"As yet my knowledge is incomplete," (TCNT)

1 Cor 13:12d

"but then shall I know even as also I am known." (KJV)
"but then I shall know according as I also have been known." (DBY)
"but then I shall know well even as I am well-known among you." (ABC)
"but then I will perceive the same way that I was perceived all along." (UNT)
"but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known" (ASV)
"but then I shall know in full, as I have been fully known" (TCNT)
"then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." (NIV)
"we shall understand just as completely as we are understood." (Ber)
"but then I will know fully, as God has known me." (NCV)
"but then I shall recognize God as he recognizes me" (Knox)
"...                   just as clearly as he sees into my heart right now" (Tay)
"but the time will come when I shall know it as fully as God now knows me!" (Phi)

1 Cor 13:13a

"And now these three remain:  faith, hope, and love." (NIV)
"And so we have faith, hope and love, these three:" (UNT)
"So faith, hope, love abide, these three;" (RSV)
"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three;" (KJV)
"...                       these are the great three" (Gspd)
"So these three things continue forever:  faith, hope, and love." (NCV)
"There are three things -- faith, hope, love -- that keep on forever" (Tay)
"In a word, there are three things that last for ever:  faith, hope, and love" (NEB)

1 Cor 13:13b

"But the greatest of these is love." (NIV)
"and the greater of these [is] love." (DBY)
"but the most important of these is love." (Beck)
"but the greatest of these is charity." (KJV)