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) Even if I could speak in human languages as well as the languages of God’s messengers, but didn’t love others, then I’d just be like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, 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 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

UST Imagine that I could speak many human and angelic languages, but I did not love others. I would be able to make much noise, like a loud metal instrument, but I would not be helping anyone.

BSB § If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal.

BLB If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

AICNT If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

OEB Though I speak in the “tongues” of people, or even of angels, yet have not love, I have become mere echoing brass, or a clanging cymbal!

WEBBE If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

LSV If I speak with the tongues of men and of messengers, and do not have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal;

FBV If I were to have eloquence in human languages—even the language of angels—but have no love, then I would only be an echoing gong or a clashing cymbal.

TCNT If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

T4T Supposing we could speak all the various languages [MTY] that people in the world speak and even speak the language that angels speak. If we did not love others, speaking those languages would be as useless as beating a brass gong or clanging cymbals together.

LEB If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a ringing brass gong or a clashing cymbal.

BBE If I make use of the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am like sounding brass, or a loud-tongued bell.

Moff No Moff 1COR book available

Wymth If I can speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but am destitute of Love, I have but become a loud-sounding trumpet or a clanging cymbal.

ASV If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.

DRA If I speak with the tongues of men, and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

YLT If with the tongues of men and of messengers I speak, and have not love, I have become brass sounding, or a cymbal tinkling;

Drby If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

RV If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.

Wbstr 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.

KJB-1769 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.

KJB-1611 ¶ Though I speake with the tongues of men & of Angels, and haue not charity, I am become as sounding brasse or a tinkling cymbal.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)

Bshps Though I speake with the tongues of men and of Angels, and haue not loue, I am as soundyng brasse, or as a tincklyng Cimball:
(Though I speak with the tongues of men and of Angels, and have not loue, I am as soundyng brass, or as a tincklyng Cimball:)

Gnva Though I speake with the tongues of men and Angels, and haue not loue, I am as sounding brasse, or a tinkling cymbal.
(Though I speak with the tongues of men and Angels, and have not loue, I am as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. )

Cvdl Though I spake with the tunges of men and angels, and yet had not loue, I were euen as sowndinge brasse, or as a tynklinge Cymball.
(Though I spake with the tongues of men and angels, and yet had not loue, I were even as sowndinge brass, or as a tynklinge Cymball.)

TNT Though I spake with the tonges of me and angels and yet had no love I were even as soundinge brasse: or as a tynklynge Cymball.
(Though I spake with the tonges of me and angels and yet had no love I were even as soundinge brass: or as a tynklynge Cymball. )

Wycl 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.
(If I speak with tongues of men and of angels, and I have not charity, I am made as brass sownynge, or a cymbal tynkynge.)

Luth Wenn ich mit Menschen- und mit Engelzungen redete und hätte der Liebe nicht, so wäre ich ein tönend Erz oder eine klingende Schelle.
(When I with Menschen- and with angelzungen talked and would_have the/of_the love not, so wäre I a tönend Erz or one klingende Schelle.)

ClVg Si linguis hominum loquar, et angelorum, caritatem autem non habeam, factus sum velut æs sonans, aut cymbalum tinniens.[fn]
(When/But_if linguis of_men loquar, and angelorum, caritatem however not/no habeam, factus I_am velut æs sonans, aut cymbalum tinniens. )

13.1 Si linguis, etc. Probat hic quod charitas excellentior est: quia alia sine illa non valent, et illa sine istis prodest plurimum. Charitatem autem. Charitas est fons proprius et singularis bonorum cui alienus non communicat. Quæ ut oleum non potest premi in imo, sed superexcellit; quæ si desit, frustra habentur cætera: si adsit, habentur omnia? Velut æs sonans, etc. Sicut impulsu aliquo et non per se æs resonat, sic loquens linguis, non per se, qui nescit quod loquitur, sed virtute spiritus profert ea quibus audientes mulceat.

13.1 When/But_if linguis, etc. Probat this that charitas excellentior it_is: because other without that not/no valent, and that without istis prodest plurimum. Charitatem however. Charitas it_is fons proprius and singularis bonorum cui alienus not/no communicat. Quæ as oil not/no potest premi in imo, but superexcellit; which when/but_if desit, frustra habentur cætera: when/but_if adsit, habentur omnia? Velut æs sonans, etc. Sicut impulsu aliquo and not/no through se æs resonat, so loquens linguis, not/no through se, who nescit that loquitur, but virtute spiritus profert ea to_whom hearing mulceat.

UGNT ἐὰν ταῖς γλώσσαις τῶν ἀνθρώπων λαλῶ καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, γέγονα χαλκὸς ἠχῶν ἢ κύμβαλον ἀλαλάζον.
(ean tais glōssais tōn anthrōpōn lalō kai tōn angelōn, agapaʸn de maʸ eⱪō, gegona ⱪalkos aʸⱪōn aʸ kumbalon alalazon.)

SBL-GNT Ἐὰν ταῖς γλώσσαις τῶν ἀνθρώπων λαλῶ καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, γέγονα χαλκὸς ἠχῶν ἢ κύμβαλον ἀλαλάζον.
(Ean tais glōssais tōn anthrōpōn lalō kai tōn angelōn, agapaʸn de maʸ eⱪō, gegona ⱪalkos aʸⱪōn aʸ kumbalon alalazon.)

TC-GNT Ἐὰν ταῖς γλώσσαις τῶν ἀνθρώπων λαλῶ καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, γέγονα χαλκὸς ἠχῶν ἢ κύμβαλον ἀλαλάζον.
(Ean tais glōssais tōn anthrōpōn lalō kai tōn angelōn, agapaʸn de maʸ eⱪō, gegona ⱪalkos aʸⱪōn aʸ kumbalon alalazon. )

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

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / hypo

ἐὰν ταῖς γλώσσαις τῶν ἀνθρώπων λαλῶ καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω

if ˱with˲_the tongues ¬the ˱of˲_humans ˱I˲_/may_be/_speaking and ¬the ˱of˲_angels love but not ˱I˲_/may_be/_having

Connecting Statement:

Here Paul is using a hypothetical situation to teach the Corinthians. He wants them to imagine that he could speak with tongues of men and of angels but also that he did not have love. He uses himself in this hypothetical situation so that he does not offend the Corinthians by using them as an example of people without love. Use a natural way in your language to introduce a hypothetical situation. Alternate translation: [Suppose that I could speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but also suppose that I did not have love.]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

ταῖς γλώσσαις

˱with˲_the tongues

Here, tongues refers to something that one does with one’s “tongue,” which is to speak a language. If it would be helpful in your language, you could indicate that tongues is a way of speaking about “languages” by using a comparable term or expressing the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [with the languages] or [in the words]

Note 3 topic: translate-unknown

ταῖς γλώσσαις τῶν ἀνθρώπων & καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων

˱with˲_the tongues ¬the ˱of˲_humans & and ¬the ˱of˲_angels

Here Paul refers to two specific categories of tongues: those of men and those of angels. He does not mean that these are the only kinds of tongues that exist, but he does think that these two kinds do exist. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express tongues of men and of angels with a normal way to refer to various human languages and then also modify it so that you could use it for angelic languages. Alternate translation: [foreign languages and angelic languages]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἀγάπην & μὴ ἔχω

love & not ˱I˲_/may_be/_having

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea behind love, you can express the idea by using a verb such as “love.” Alternate translation: [I do not love people]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

γέγονα χαλκὸς ἠχῶν ἢ κύμβαλον ἀλαλάζον

˱I˲_/have/_become brass resounding or /a/_cymbal screaming

Here Paul speaks as if he were a metallic instrument that makes loud noises. He speaks in this way because he wants to argue that tongues without love are noisy, like an instrument, but they do not actually help others. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this figure of speech with a comparable metaphor or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [I have become loud but useless] or [I have become like loud radio static]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

χαλκὸς ἠχῶν ἢ κύμβαλον ἀλαλάζον

brass resounding or /a/_cymbal screaming

Here Paul refers to two different loud, metallic instruments in his culture. If your culture does not have two different loud instruments made of metal, you could refer to just one here. Further, if your culture does not use metal instruments, you could refer to two or one instruments that make a loud noise. Alternate translation: [a noisy cymbal] or [a loud drum]

Note 7 topic: translate-unknown

χαλκὸς ἠχῶν

brass resounding

Here, a noisy gong refers to the sound that comes when someone hits a flat metal object. A gong is a metal instrument that someone hits to make a deep, booming sound. You could use a word that identifies a metal instrument in your culture, especially if it makes a loud sound. Alternate translation: [a loud bell]

Note 8 topic: translate-unknown

κύμβαλον ἀλαλάζον

/a/_cymbal screaming

A cymbal is a thin, round metal plate that someone hits with a stick or another cymbal to create a loud crashing sound (clanging). You could use a word that describes another metal instrument in your culture, especially if it makes a loud, harsh sound. Alternate translation: [loud percussion]

Parallel 1COR 13:1

Connecting Statement: