1 Corinthians 13:3

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

If I give everything I have to the poor and surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Καὶ ἐὰν ψωμίσω πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντά μου, καὶ ἐὰν παραδῶ τὸ σῶμά μου ἵνα καυθήσωμαι, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, οὐδὲν ὠφελοῦμαι.

Transliteration

And if I psōmisō all the hyparchonta of me, and if I paradō the sōma of me so that I may be kauthēsōmai, agapēn but not echō, nothing I am ōpheloumai.

Grammar Details

• *Kai*: conjunction - and/also
• *ean*: conditional particle - if
• *psōmisō*: aorist, active, subjunctive, 1st person singular - I feed/dole out food
• *panta*: accusative, neuter, plural - all
• *hyparchonta*: accusative, neuter, plural, participle - belongings/possessions/goods
• *mou*: genitive, 1st person singular pronoun - of me/my
• *paradō*: aorist, active, subjunctive, 1st person singular - I deliver up/hand over
• *sōma*: accusative, neuter, singular - body
• *hina*: conjunction - so that/in order that
• *kauthēsōmai*: future, passive, subjunctive, 1st person singular - I may be burned
• *agapēn*: accusative, feminine, singular - love
• *de*: postpositive conjunction - but/and
• *mē*: negative particle - not
• *echō*: present, active, subjunctive, 1st person singular - I have/possess
• *ouden*: accusative, neuter, singular - nothing
• *ōpheloumai*: present, passive, indicative, 1st person singular - I am profited/benefited

Word Meanings

• *psōmisō*: feed/give food to/distribute food
• *hyparchonta*: possessions/goods/property/belongings
• *paradō*: deliver up/hand over/surrender
• *sōma*: body/physical form
• *kauthēsōmai*: I may be burned/consumed by fire
• *ōpheloumai*: I am profited/benefited/advantaged

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

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

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profits me nothing.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

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

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And{G2532} if{G1437} I bestow{G5595} all{G3956} my{G3450} goods{G5224} to feed{G5595} [the poor], and{G2532} if{G1437} I give{G3860} my{G3450} body{G4983} to{G2443} be burned,{G2545} but{G1161} have{G2192} not{G3361} love,{G26} it profiteth{G5623} me nothing.{G3762}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And{G2532} though{G1437} I bestow{G5595} all{G3956} my{G3450} goods{G5224}{(G5723)} to feed{G5595}{(G5661)} the poor, and{G2532} though{G1437} I give{G3860}{(G5632)} my{G3450} body{G4983} to{G2443} be burned{G2545}{(G5703)}, and{G1161} have{G2192}{(G5725)} not{G3361} charity{G26}, it profiteth me{G5623}{(G5743)} nothing{G3762}.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  And though I bestowed all my gooddes to fede ye poore and though I gave my body even that I burned and yet had no love it profeteth me nothinge.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And though I bestowed all my goodes to fede ye poore, and though I gaue my body euen that I burned, and yet haue not loue, it profiteth me nothinge.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And though I feede the poore with all my goods, and though I giue my body, that I be burned, and haue not loue, it profiteth me nothing.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And though I bestowe all my goodes to feede the poore, and though I geue my body that I burned, and haue not loue, it profiteth me nothyng.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

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

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  If I dole out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don't have love, it profits me nothing.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  and if I give away to feed others all my goods, and if I give up my body that I may be burned, and have not love, I am profited nothing.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And if I bestow all my goods to feed `the poor', and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And if I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And if I give all my goods to the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it is of no profit to me.

• World English Bible (2000)

  If I dole out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don't have love, it profits me nothing.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  If I give away everything I own, and if I give over my body in order to boast, but do not have love, I receive no benefit.

Referenced Verses

• Jas 2:14-17 : 14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, keep warm and be well fed,' but does not provide for their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
• Heb 13:9 : 9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by God’s grace, not by eating ceremonial foods, which have not benefited those who have followed them.
• Jer 7:8 : 8 But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.
• Dan 3:16-28 : 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego replied to the king, 'Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you concerning this matter. 17 If the God we serve exists, he is able to rescue us from the blazing fiery furnace and deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden statue you have set up.' 19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He ordered that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. 20 And he commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego and throw them into the blazing fiery furnace. 21 So the men were bound in their robes, trousers, turbans, and other clothes, and they were thrown into the midst of the blazing fiery furnace. 22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames killed the soldiers who carried Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. 23 And these three men—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego—fell, bound, into the middle of the blazing fiery furnace. 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; he stood up in alarm and said to his counselors, 'Did we not throw three men, bound, into the fire?' They answered the king, 'Certainly, O king.' 25 He exclaimed, 'Look! I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods!' 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the opening of the blazing fiery furnace and called out, 'Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out and come here!' So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came out of the fire. 27 The satraps, prefects, governors, and the king’s officials gathered around and saw that the fire had had no effect on the bodies of these men. Their hair was not singed, their clothes were not burned, and there was no smell of fire on them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar declared, 'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him, defied the king’s command, and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.
• Matt 6:1-4 : 1 Be careful not to practice your acts of charity before others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 So, when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
• Matt 7:22-23 : 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and perform many miracles in Your name?' 23 Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'
• Matt 23:5 : 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. They make their phylacteries broad and their tassels long.
• Luke 18:22 : 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, 'You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'
• Luke 18:28 : 28 Peter said, 'Look, we have left all we had to follow you.'
• Luke 19:8 : 8 But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! I am giving half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will pay back four times as much."
• Luke 21:3-4 : 3 He said, 'Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them.' 4 For they all gave out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she had to live on.
• John 6:63 : 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are Spirit and they are life.
• John 12:43 : 43 For they loved the approval of people more than the approval of God.
• John 13:37 : 37 'Lord,' Peter asked, 'why can't I follow You now? I will lay down my life for You!'
• John 15:13 : 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
• Acts 21:13 : 13 Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
• Gal 5:26 : 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
• Phil 1:15-18 : 15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 What does it matter? Regardless, in every way—whether from false motives or in truth—Christ is proclaimed. And in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice.
• Phil 1:20-21 : 20 My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed in anything, but that with all boldness, now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
• Phil 2:3 : 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.
• 1 Tim 4:8 : 8 For bodily training is of some value, but godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
• Isa 57:12 : 12 I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not benefit you.