"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."
— 1 Corinthians 13:8 (NIV)
1 Corinthians 13:8 is the verse people mean by "love never fails." The searched reference wants that line and the contrast that follows. This page is the passage and a plain reading. The vernacular page is Love never fails Bible verse. The line-by-line study is 1 Corinthians 13:8 meaning. The portrait of love just before it is 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and What 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 means.
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The verse
1 Corinthians 13:8 (NIV) says, "Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."
The ESV reads, "Love never ends." Both translate the same claim: love does not fall (oudepote piptei). Paul then names three gifts that will pass away.
What the verse is saying
Paul is not promising that every relationship will succeed. He is saying the love he has been defining — patient, kind, not keeping a ledger — does not collapse the way a gift can. Prophecies, tongues, and knowledge belong to the time when we still know in part. Verses 9–12 say why they pass. Love is not in the list of things that disappear.
Love never fails Bible verse stays with the searched phrase. 1 Corinthians 13:12 stays with the mirror. Verse 13 then says faith, hope, and love remain (Faith, hope and love Bible verse; The greatest of these is love).
How this sits in the chapter
Verses 4–7 show what the love is. Verse 8 says that love outlasts the gifts the Corinthians were ranking. The whole chapter is 1 Corinthians 13. The deep dive on verses 4–7 is Bible verses about love: 1 Corinthians 13.
Questions people ask
What does 1 Corinthians 13:8 say?
It says love never fails, while prophecies, tongues, and knowledge will pass away.
What does love never fails mean?
It means the love Paul has been defining does not fall or come to an end, while partial gifts will. It is not a guarantee that a particular marriage or plan cannot break. See Love never fails Bible verse and 1 Corinthians 13:8 meaning.
Does love never fails mean I must stay in a harmful relationship?
No. The verse describes love itself, not a trap. Earlier in the chapter love "always protects." Getting to safety and telling the truth about ongoing harm are not ways of breaking this verse.
How is this different from the greatest of these is love?
Verse 8 says love does not fall, while gifts pass. Verse 13 says faith, hope, and love remain, and love is the greatest of those three. Related claims, different sentences. See The greatest of these is love.
Where should I read next?
For the phrase, read Love never fails Bible verse. For the study, read 1 Corinthians 13:8 meaning. For the chapter, read 1 Corinthians 13.
