1 AbaseKhorinte 13 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Isiphiwo esikhulu kulazo zonke siluthando

¹ Loba ngingakhuluma ngendimi zabantu lezezithunywa, kodwa uba ngingelalo uthando, ngiyisigubhu esikhalayo lensimbi encencethayo.

² Loba ngingaba lamandla okutshumayela, ngiqedisisa imfihlakalo zonke lokwazi konke, loba ngingaba lokukholwa konke kokuba ngisuse intaba, kodwa uba ngingelalo uthando, kangisilutho.

³ Loba nginganika abayanga konke engilakho, loba nginganikela umzimba wami ukuba utshiswe, kodwa uba ngingelalo uthando, kakungisizi ngalutho.

⁴ Uthando luyabekezela, lulobubele; uthando kalulamona, kaluzincomi, kaluzikhukhumezi;

⁵ uthando kaluziphathi ngokungafanelanga; kaluzifuneli okwalo, kalucunuki, kalulazikhwili;

⁶ kaluthokozi ngokungalunganga, kodwa luthokoza ngeqiniso.

⁷ Uthando lubekezelela izinto zonke, lukholwa izinto zonke, luthemba izinto zonke, lukhuthazelela izinto zonke.

⁸ Uthando kalusoze lwaphela; kodwa uba kukhona ukutshumayela, kuzakudlula; uba kukhona ukukhuluma ngendimi, kuzakuphela; uba kukhona ukwazi, kuzakudlula.

⁹ Ngoba ukwazi kwethu kakuphelelanga, lokutshumayela kwethu kakuphelelanga;

¹⁰ kodwa lapho sekufikile okupheleleyo, okungaphelelanga kuzakudlula.

¹¹ Lapho ngisengumntwana, ngakhulumisa okomntwana, ngaqedisisa okomntwana, nganakanisa okomntwana; kuthe sengiyindoda, ngalahla izinto zobuntwana.

¹² Khathesi sibona esibukweni kaluvivi; kodwake lapho ubuso buzakubonana lobuso. Khathesi ngazi ingxenye; kodwa lapho ngizakwazi ngokupheleleyo, njengokuba kade ngisaziwa ngokupheleleyo nguNkulunkulu.

¹³ Kumike ukukholwa, lokuthemba, lothando, lokhu kokuthathu; kodwa okukhulu kulokhu luthando.