1 Corinthians · Chapter 13 · Love
1 Corinthians 13:5 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context
Love is the centre of Scripture's story. Read this one slowly.
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Both translations, side by side
WEB · World English Bible
"doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil;"
KJV · King James Version
"Doth807 not3756 behave itself unseemly807, seeketh2212 not3756 her own1438, is3947 not3756 easily provoked3947, thinketh3049 no3756 evil2556;"
How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. The KJV uses doth, unseemly, seeketh, her, while the WEB renders these as doesn, inappropriately, seek, its. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.
In context
1 Corinthians 13:5 in 1 Corinthians 13
A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is 1 Corinthians 13:5 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of 1 Corinthians 13. Read the full chapter →
- v.3 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.
- v.4 Love is patient and is kind; love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,
- v.5 doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil;
- v.6 doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
- v.7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Book background
About the Book of 1 Corinthians
- Testament
- New Testament
- Genre
- Pauline epistle
- Author
- Paul
- Date written
- c. 55 AD
- Audience
- A divided, immature church in cosmopolitan Corinth
- Chapters
- 16
1 Corinthians addresses divisions, immorality, lawsuits, marriage, idol food, worship disorder, and confusion about the resurrection in a young church. It contains the great love chapter (13) and Paul's definitive teaching on the resurrection of the body (15).
Setting: Written from Ephesus to address reported problems.
Key themes: unity · wisdom · cross · spiritual gifts · love · resurrection
Memorisation aid
How to memorise 1 Corinthians 13:5
1 Corinthians 13:5 contains 17 words in 4 clauses. Learn one clause at a time, then chain them. The first-letter mnemonic (FLM) under each clause is a memory hook — once you can speak the FLM from memory, the full clause follows.
- 1
doesn’t behave itself inappropriately
DBII
- 2
doesn’t seek its own way
DSIOW
- 3
is not provoked
INP
- 4
takes no account of evil;
TNAOE
Frequently asked
FAQ about 1 Corinthians 13:5
What does 1 Corinthians 13:5 say?
1 Corinthians 13:5 reads: "doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil;" — from the New Testament, 1 Corinthians (Pauline epistle). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.
What book of the Bible is 1 Corinthians 13:5 in?
1 Corinthians 13:5 is in the book of 1 Corinthians, traditionally attributed to Paul and written around c. 55 AD. 1 Corinthians is pauline epistle in the New Testament, originally addressed to A divided, immature church in cosmopolitan Corinth. Best known for the "love" chapter (1 Corinthians 13).
What is 1 Corinthians 13:5 about?
1 Corinthians 13:5 is primarily a Bible verse about Love. Within 1 Corinthians, 1 Corinthians addresses divisions, immorality, lawsuits, marriage, idol food, worship disorder, and confusion about the resurrection in a young church. Read the full passage above with surrounding context.
What is the difference between 1 Corinthians 13:5 in WEB and KJV?
1 Corinthians 13:5 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil;". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "Doth807 not3756 behave itself unseemly807, seeketh2212 not3756 her own1438, is3947 not3756 easily provoked3947, thinketh3049 no3756 evil2556;". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.
How long is 1 Corinthians 13:5?
1 Corinthians 13:5 is 17 words in the WEB translation (107 characters), broken into 4 clauses. It is short and well-suited to memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 5 seconds.
How can I memorise 1 Corinthians 13:5?
To memorise 1 Corinthians 13:5, split it into its 4 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.
Why does 1 Corinthians 13:5 matter in 1 Corinthians?
1 Corinthians addresses divisions, immorality, lawsuits, marriage, idol food, worship disorder, and confusion about the resurrection in a young church. It contains the great love chapter (13) and Paul's definitive teaching on the resurrection of the body (15). 1 Corinthians 13:5 sits within this larger story — 1 Corinthians as a whole emphasises unity, wisdom, cross.
How can I apply 1 Corinthians 13:5 today?
Many readers use 1 Corinthians 13:5 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download 1 Corinthians 13:5 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.
More designs
10 verses to read next
A fresh set of verses every visit — each on its own photo background. Tap any card to open the full study page.
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John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
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-
Romans 8:28
“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
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-
1 John 4:8
“He who doesn't love doesn't know God, for God is love.”
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1 Corinthians 13:4-7
“Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn't envy. Love doesn't brag, is not proud, doesn't behave itself inappropriately, doesn't seek its own way, is not pr…”
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Matthew 22:39
“A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
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John 13:34
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another.”
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-
1 Corinthians 13:13
“But now faith, hope, and love remain — these three. The greatest of these is love.”
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Romans 5:8
“But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
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Ephesians 4:32
“And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.”
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Deuteronomy 6:5
“You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.”
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More featured verses in 1 Corinthians 13
Read full chapter → 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
“Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn't envy. Love doesn't brag, is not proud, doesn't behave itself inappropriately, doesn't seek its own way, is not pr…”
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1 Corinthians 13:6
“doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;”
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1 Corinthians 13:7
“bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
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1 Corinthians 13:13
“But now faith, hope, and love remain — these three. The greatest of these is love.”
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“No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the…”
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1 Corinthians 6:19
“Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,”
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