"It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
— 1 Corinthians 13:7 (NIV)
"Love bears all things" is the older English line many people still search for 1 Corinthians 13:7. In the NIV, the first of the four verbs is "always protects." This page is the phrase and a plain reading. The exact-reference page is 1 Corinthians 13:7. The study is 1 Corinthians 13:7 meaning. Verses 4–7 together are 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. Love that never fails in the next verse is Love never fails Bible verse.
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The verse
1 Corinthians 13:7 sits in Paul's portrait of love. The KJV says love "beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." The NIV keeps the same fourfold rhythm: always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
"Bears" / "protects" is not a call to absorb abuse without naming harm. In the same chapter, love does not delight in evil and rejoices with the truth. Bearing here is covering and shielding — staying under the weight with someone — not pretending the weight is fine.
What the phrase is saying
Paul wrote to a church dividing over gifts and status. Love that bears all things is how that body stays together when people are unfinished. It pairs with patience and kindness in verse 4, and with keeping no record of wrongs. See Love is patient Bible verse and Love keeps no record of wrongs.
Peter's "love covers a multitude of sins" is a close cousin from another letter. See 1 Peter 4:8 and Love covers a multitude of sins.
How people use this line
People search "love bears all things" for wedding readings, hard weeks in marriage, and church conflict. One short verse is usually enough for a card or text. For ceremony lists, see Wedding Bible readings. For a heavy week beyond romance, see Bible verses for hard times.
Questions people ask
What Bible verse says love bears all things?
1 Corinthians 13:7. The KJV says "beareth all things." The NIV says "always protects" as the first of four verbs.
What does love bears all things mean?
It means love stays under the weight with people and refuses to make their fault the whole story — while still telling the truth. See 1 Corinthians 13:7 meaning.
Is love bears all things the same as love never fails?
They are neighbors. Verse 7 is the fourfold habit. Verse 8 says love never fails. Read 1 Corinthians 13:7 and Love never fails Bible verse.
Does bearing all things mean tolerating abuse?
No. Love protects; it does not require you to hide ongoing harm. "Always protects" is a reason to stop harm, not to silence a victim.
Where should I read next?
For the reference page, read 1 Corinthians 13:7. For verses 4–7, read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. For covering sins, read 1 Peter 4:8.
