Love

1For tho' I should speak with the eloquence of men, and of angels, and not have social affection, I should be like sounding brass, or a noisy cymbal. 2and tho' I should have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and tho' I had all the faith necessary to remove mountains, and had no benevolence, it would signify nothing. 3and tho' I distribute my whole substance to the poor, and give my body to be burned, and have not social affection, it profits me nothing.

4Social affection is patient, is kind; is a stranger to envy; is not insolently vain, nor arrogant: does not behave indecently, 5is not self-interested, is not easily provoked, nor suspects any ill; 6it does not countenance injustice, but smiles upon virtue; 7it excuses all things, believes what is favourable, hopes for the best, and suffers the worst.

8Social affection will never fail: but as for prophecies, they shall be out of use; as for languages, they shall cease; as for knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9for our knowledge is defective, and our prophesying is defective. 10but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is defective shall be laid aside. 11when I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I reasoned as a child: but when I became a man, I laid aside my childish ways. 12now we do but indirectly see the faint images of things; but then the objects themselves will be before our eyes; now I have a partial knowledge, but then shall I know, even as I myself am known. 13and now faith, hope, social virtue, these three will all remain; but the most permanent of the three is social virtue.