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¹ If Y speke with tungis of men and of aungels, and Y haue not charite, Y am maad as bras sownynge, or a cymbal tynkynge.² And if Y haue prophecie, and knowe alle mysteries, and al kunnynge, and if Y haue al feith, so that Y meue hillis fro her place, and Y haue not charite, Y am nouyt.³ And if Y departe alle my goodis in to the metis of pore men, and yf Y bitake my bodi, so that Y brenne, and if Y haue not charite, it profitith to me no thing.

⁴ Charite is pacient, it is benygne; charite enuyeth not, it doith not wickidli, it is not blowun,⁵ it is not coueytouse, it sekith not tho thingis that ben hise owne, it is not stirid to wraththe, it thenkith not yuel,⁶ it ioyeth not on wickidnesse, but it ioieth togidere to treuthe;⁷ it suffrith alle thingis, it bileueth alle thingis, it hopith alle thingis, it susteyneth alle thingis.

⁸ Charite fallith neuere doun, whether prophecies schulen be voidid, ethir langagis schulen ceesse, ethir science schal be distried.⁹ For a parti we knowun, and a parti we prophecien;¹⁰ but whanne that schal come that is parfit, that thing that is of parti schal be auoidid.¹¹ Whanne Y was a litil child, Y spak as a litil child, Y vndurstood as a litil child, Y thouyte as a litil child; but whanne Y was maad a man, Y auoidide tho thingis that weren of a litil child.¹² And we seen now bi a myrour in derknesse, but thanne face to face; now Y knowe of parti, but thanne Y schal knowe, as Y am knowun.¹³ And now dwellen feith, hope, and charite, these thre; but the most of these is charite.