Hvalospjev ljubavi
1Kad bih sve ljudske i anđeoske jezike govorio, a ljubavi ne bih imao, bio bih poput mjedi što ječi ili cimbala što zveči. 2Kad bih imao dar prorokovanja, kad bih razumio sva otajstva i imao sve znanje te takvu vjeru da bih i gore premještao, a ljubavi ne bih imao, bio bih—ništa. 3Kad bih siromasima razdao sav svoj imetak, kad bih i tijelo svoje predao da se sažeže, a ljubavi ne bih imao—ništa mi koristilo ne bi.
4Ljubav je strpljiva, ljubav je dobrostiva; ona ne zavidi, ne hvasta se, ne oholi se. 5Nije nepristojna, ne traži svoje pravo, nije razdražljiva, ne pamti zlo; 6ne raduje se nepravdi, nego istini. 7Sve izdržava, nikad ne gubi vjeru, uvijek se nada, sve podnosi.
8Ljubav nikad neće uminuti. Prorokovanje? Iščeznut će. Jezici? Zamuknut će. Znanje? Nestat će. 9Jer nepotpuno je naše znanje, nepotpuno naše prorokovanje. 10A kada dođe ono što je savršeno, uminut će ovo što je nepotpuno.
11Kad sam bio dijete, govorio sam kao dijete, razmišljao sam kao dijete, rasuđivao sam kao dijete. Kad sam postao zrelim čovjekom, odbacio sam što je djetinje. 12Sad vidimo u zrcalu, nejasno, a tada ćemo gledati licem u lice. Sada spoznajem nepotpuno, a tada ću spoznati savršeno, kao što sam i sam spoznan.
13A sada ostaje troje: vjera, nada i ljubav, ali najveća je među njima ljubav.
1If I speak in the tongues13:1 Or languages of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,13:3 Some manuscripts body to the flames but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.