1COR 12:31 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) But strive for the better gifts.
¶ And now I’ll demonstrate a better way to you all:

Key: khaki:verbs, orange:accusative/object, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And now, I show you a more excellent way.

UST Now I want you to eagerly seek the most beneficial gifts. Next, I will tell you about the very best thing you can do.

BSB But eagerly desire the greater gifts.
§ And now I will show you the most excellent way.

BLB But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show to you now a more surpassing way.

AICNT But strive for the {greater}[fn] gifts.[fn]
¶  And I will show you a still more excellent way.

12:31, greater: Some manuscripts read “better.” D(05) BYZ TR

12:31, But strive for the greater gifts: Possibly this is not an imperative but a question, “But are you striving for the greater gifts?”

OEB Strive for the greater gifts.
¶  Yet I can still show you a way beyond all comparison the best.

WEBBE But earnestly desire the best gifts. Moreover, I show a most excellent way to you.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET But you should be eager for the greater gifts.
¶ And now I will show you a way that is beyond comparison.

LSV And earnestly desire the better gifts; and yet I show to you a far [more] excelling way:

FBV But you should really want to have the most significant gifts.[fn] So now I will show you a far better way.

12:31 Having discussed the different spiritual gifts, Paul states that believers should desire the most important ones. Of course which these are would be a matter of much debate. What he really is doing is setting the scene for the next chapter, for without love none of these gifts, even those considered the most significant, are worth anything.

TCNT No, but earnestly desire the [fn]better gifts.
¶ And now I will show you a far more excellent way.

12:31 better 93% ¦ greater CT 5.8%

T4T But you should eagerly desire to have the abilities that will help other believers the most (OR, the abilities that God considers to be the most important). But now I will tell you the best way to use the abilities that God’s Spirit has given you.

LEB But strive[fn] for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

12:31 Or “you are striving” (some understand the form of this verb to be indicative mood rather than imperative mood)

BBE But let your desires be turned to the more important things given by the Spirit. And now I am pointing out to you an even better way.

Moff No Moff 1COR book available

Wymth But always seek to excel in the greater gifts. And now I will point out to you a way of life which transcends all others.
¶ 

ASV But desire earnestly the greater gifts. And moreover a most excellent way show I unto you.

DRA But be zealous for the better gifts. And I shew unto you yet a more excellent way.

YLT and desire earnestly the better gifts; and yet a far excelling way do I shew to you:

Drby But desire earnestly the greater gifts, and yet shew I unto you a way of more surpassing excellence.

RV But desire earnestly the greater gifts. And a still more excellent way shew I unto you.

Wbstr But covet earnestly the best gifts. And yet I show to you a more excellent way.

KJB-1769 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
(But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way. )

KJB-1611 But couet earnestly the best gifts: And yet shew I vnto you a more excellent way.
(But couet earnestly the best gifts: And yet show I unto you a more excellent way.)

Bshps Couet after the best giftes: And yet shew I vnto you a more excellent way.
(Couet after the best giftes: And yet show I unto you a more excellent way.)

Gnva But desire you the best giftes, and I will yet shewe you a more excellent way.
(But desire you the best giftes, and I will yet show you a more excellent way. )

Cvdl But covet ye the best giftes. And yet shewe I you a more excellent waye.
(But covet ye/you_all the best giftes. And yet show I you a more excellent way.)

TNT Covet after the best giftes. Amd yet shewe I vnto you a moare excellent waye.
(Covet after the best giftes. Amd yet show I unto you a more excellent way. )

Wyc But sue ye the betere goostli yiftis. And yit Y schewe to you a more exellent weye.
(But sue ye/you_all the better ghostli yiftis. And yet I show to you a more exellent way.)

Luth Strebet aber nach den besten Gaben! Und ich will euch noch einen köstlichern Weg zeigen.
(Strebet but after the besten Gaben! And I will you still a köstlichern path zeigen.)

ClVg Æmulamini autem charismata meliora. Et adhuc excellentiorem viam vobis demonstro.[fn]
(Æmulamini however charismata meliora. And adhuc excellentiorem road to_you demonstro. )

12.31 Excellentiorem viam. Charitatem, quia est majus omnibus prædictis donum; unde in fine, his qui dicunt, Domine, in nomine tuo prophetavimus, dæmonia ejecimus, virtutes fecimus, dicet Dominus: Recedite a me, non novi vos, operarii iniquitatis Matth. 7..

12.31 Excellentiorem viam. Charitatem, because it_is mayus to_all prædictis donum; whence in fine, his who dicunt, Domine, in nomine tuo prophetavimus, demons eyecimus, virtutes fecimus, dicet Master: Recedite from me, not/no novi vos, operarii iniquitatis Matth. 7..

UGNT ζηλοῦτε δὲ τὰ χαρίσματα τὰ μείζονα. καὶ ἔτι καθ’ ὑπερβολὴν ὁδὸν, ὑμῖν δείκνυμι.
(zaʸloute de ta ⱪarismata ta meizona. kai eti kath’ huperbolaʸn hodon, humin deiknumi.)

SBL-GNT ζηλοῦτε δὲ τὰ χαρίσματα τὰ ⸀μείζονα. καὶ ἔτι καθʼ ὑπερβολὴν ὁδὸν ὑμῖν δείκνυμι.
(zaʸloute de ta ⱪarismata ta ⸀meizona. kai eti kathʼ huperbolaʸn hodon humin deiknumi.)

TC-GNT Ζηλοῦτε δὲ τὰ χαρίσματα τὰ [fn]κρείττονα.
¶ Καὶ ἔτι καθ᾽ ὑπερβολὴν ὁδὸν ὑμῖν δείκνυμι.
(Zaʸloute de ta ⱪarismata ta kreittona.
¶ Kai eti kath huperbolaʸn hodon humin deiknumi. )

12:31 κρειττονα 93% ¦ μειζονα CT 5.8%

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / imperative

ζηλοῦτε

/be/_being_zealous

Here, earnestly desire could be: (1) a command from Paul. Alternate translation: “you should earnestly desire” (2) a statement about what the Corinthians are doing. Alternate translation: “you are earnestly desiring”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / irony

τὰ χαρίσματα τὰ μείζονα

˱for˲_the gifts ¬the greater

Here, greater could indicate: (1) what Paul thinks are greater gifts, which would be the ones that most benefit other believers. Alternate translation: “the gifts that are greater” or “the gifts that help others” (2) what the Corinthians think are the greater gifts, which Paul may disagree with. The Corinthians would probably include speaking in tongues as a greater gift. If you choose this option, you will need to express earnestly desire as a statement, not as an imperative. Alternate translation: “what you think are greater gifts”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / pastforfuture

ὑμῖν δείκνυμι

˱to˲_you_all ˱I˲_/am/_showing

Here Paul introduces what he will tell the Corinthians in the next chapter. Use a natural verb tense in your language for referring to what a person is about to say. Alternate translation: “I am going to show you”

Parallel 1COR 12:31