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.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and have all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed he poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Doth not behave itself unseemly,seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

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.

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

But when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away.

When I was a child I spake as a child, I understood as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

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.

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
I Corinthians 13





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"Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee:
for whither thou goest, I will go;
and where thou lodgest, I will lodge:
thy people will be my people, and thy God my God:

Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried:
the Lord do so to me , and more also, of ought but death part thee and me"
~Ruth 1:16,17










      These are two of the most famous and quoted passages of scripture,for good reason.Who doesn't long for this kind of love to both receive and emanate? I love these not only because of the lofty thoughts, but because they give form and definition to the concept of love.I have the common failing of feeling loving ,but selfishly distorting its expression.I find myself returning again to the 13th chapter of Corinthians for a refresher.







      Some of the King James era words have changed meaning or simply gone out of style,so a dictionary is always helpful ,especially to retain the shades of meaning not found in a paraphrase version.Why not increase our vocabulary-although I wouldn't find myself saying 'vaunt' anytime soon.


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