1 KWEBEKORINTE 13

₁Nanyana ngingakhuluma ngamalimi wabantu namkha weengilozi, kodwana nginganathando, sengifana nekoporo ebanga itjhada namkha isimbi elilako.

₂Nanginesiphiwo sokuphorofida, ngikghona ukuzwisisa zoke iimfihlakalo begodu nginelwazi; nginokukholwa okutjhidisa iintaba, kodwana nginganathando, angisililitho.

₃Nangipha abadududu koke enginakho benginikele umzimbami ekutjhisweni, kodwana nginganalo ithando, angisililitho.

₄Ithando liyabekezela, ithando linesisa, alinamona, alizikhukhumezi, alizitjhayi; ₅aliziphathi ngendlela engakafaneli, alizifuneli kwalo, alinasicasucasu, alibibhi imilandu. ₆Ithando alithokoziswa bubumbi kodwana lithabela iqiniso, ₇lembesa yoke into, likholwa yoke into, lirhuluphela yoke into begodu linyamezelela koke.

₈Ithando alihluleki. Kodwana lapha kuneemphorofido khona, zizakuphela; lapha kunamalimi khona, azakuthuliswa; lapha kunelwazi khona, lizakudlula. ₉Ngitjho ngombana sazi ingcenye begodu siphorofida ingcenye, ₁₀kodwana nasele kufika ukupheleliswa, ukungakapheleliswa kuyanyamalala. ₁₁Nangisesemntwana bengikhuluma njengomntwana, ngicabanga njengomntwana, ngizwisisa njengomntwana. Kwathi lokha nangiba yindoda, ngahlukana neendlela zobuntwana. ₁₂Kwagadesi sisabona lififi esibonibonini, kodwana ngesikhatheso sizokubonana ubuso nobuso. Okwanje ngazi ingcenye, ngesikhatheso ngizokwazi koke ngokuzeleko njengombana nami ngaziwa ngokuzeleko. ₁₃Nje-ke okuthathu lokhu kujamile: ukukholwa, ithemba nethando. Kodwana okungaphezu kwakho koke lithando.