1 Ndingafanelana ndithetha ngeelwimi zabantu nezezithunywa zezulu; uthando ke ndingenalo, ndisuke ndaba yixina ehlokomayo, necangci elikhenkcezayo.
2 Ndingafanelana ndinabo nobuprofeto, ndizazi iimfihlelo zonke, ndinako konke ukwazi; ndingafanelana ndinalo lonke ukholo, ngokokude ndisuse iintaba, uthando ke ndingenalo, andinto yanto.
3 Ndingafanelana ndisamkelisa amahlwempu ngempahla yam yonke, nokuba ndithe umzimba wam ndawunikela ukuba utshiswe, uthando ke ndingenalo, akundincedi lutho.
4 Uthando luzeka kade umsindo, lunobubele; uthando alunamona; uthando alugwagwisi;
5 alukhukhumali; alwenzi okuziintloni; alufuni okukokwalo kodwa;
6 alucaphuki; alunanzondo; aluvuyeli kungalungisi; luvuyisana nenyaniso.
7 Luthwala iinto zonke; lukholwa ziinto zonke; luthemba iinto zonke; lunyamezela iinto zonke.
8 Uthando aluze lutshitshe; nokuba ke ziziprofeto, ziya kubhangiswa; nokuba ziilwimi, ziya kupheza; nokuba kukwazi, kuya kuphuthiswa.
9 Kuba siyazi ngokuyinxenye, siprofeta ngokuyinxenye.
10 Xa kuthe ke kwafika okuzalisekileyo, kuya kwandula ukuphuthiswa okuyinxenye.
11 Oko bendingumntwana, bendithetha ngokomntwana, bendiqonda ngokomntwana, bendicamanga ngokomntwana; ndithe ke, ndakuba yindoda, ndazibhangisa izinto zobuntwana.
12 Kuba ngoku sikhangela esipilini ngokwamanakanibe; oko ke, siya kukhangelana ebusweni. Ngoku ndazi ngokuyinxenye; oko ke ndiya kwazi kakuhle, njengoko ndaziwayo nokwaziwa nam.
13 Kungoku ke kuhleli ukholo, ithemba, uthando, ezo zinto zontathu; eyona inkulu ke kuzo apho luthando.