1 Ewe kambe, ndingade ndibe liciko lokuthetha iilwimi zabantu, ndide ndithethe nezezithunywa zezulu – kodwa ndingenalo uthando, intetho yam isuka ibe yingxolo nje, efana neyentsimbi ehlokomayo, necangci elikhenkcezayo.
2 Ndingade ndibe naso nesiphiwo sokushumayela ngefuthe, ndinalo lonke ulwazi, ndizazi nezinto ezingàziwa mntu, ndinalo nokholo olugungqisa iintaba, kodwa ndingenalo uthando, andinto konke!
3 Ewe, nokuba ndinganikisa ngempahla yam yonke, ndide nam ngokwam ndizinikele ukuba nditshiswe, kodwa ke ndingenalo uthando, akuncedi nto konke-konke.
4 Uthando lunomonde, lunobubele. Uthando alunamona, alugwagwisi, lungakhukhumali.
5 Uthando alugezi, alufuni okukokwalo, alunachuku, alunanzondo.
6 Uthando aluvuyiswa bububi, luvuyiswa yinyaniso.
7 Uthando aluncami; lukholwa zizinto zonke, luthemba izinto zonke, lunyamezela izinto zonke.
8 Uthando alupheli. Zikho zona iintshumayelo ezinefuthe, kodwa ziyatshitsha. Zikho neziphiwo zokuthetha iilwimi, kodwa nazo ziyabhanga. Kukwakho nokwazi, kodwa kuyadlula nako.
9 Kaloku ezi ziphiwo sinazo zokwazi nokushumayela azigqibelelanga.
10 Kodwa ke xa kuthe kwafika oko kugqibeleleyo okungagqibelelanga kuya kuphuthiswa konke.
11 Xeshikweni bendingumntwana, bendithetha njengomntwana, ndicinga njengomntwana, ndinezimvo zobuntwana; njengoko ke ndimdala, ndahlukene ngoku neendlela zobuntwana.
12 Into esiyibonayo ngoku yimbonakalo nje eluzizi ngokungathi sikhangele esipilini; kanti ke ngoko siya kubona ngokucacileyo. Ukwazi kwam ngoku akugqibelelanga, kanti ke ndokwazi kakuhle ngoko, kufane nokundazi kwakhe uThixo ukwazi kwam.
13 Ngalinye ke, zintathu izinto eziya kuhlala zihleli: lukholo, nethemba, nothando. Engaphezu kwazo zonke ke luthando.