1Ewe 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. 2Ndingade ndibe naso nesiphiwo sokushumayela ngefuthe, ndinalo lonke ulwazi, ndizazi nezinto ezingàziwa mntu, ndinalo nokholo olugungqisa iintaba, kodwa ndingenalo uthando, andinto konke! 3Ewe, nokuba ndinganikisa ngempahla yam yonke, ndide nam ngokwam ndizinikele ukuba nditshiswe, kodwa ke ndingenalo uthando, akuncedi nto konke-konke.
4Uthando lunomonde, lunobubele. Uthando alunamona, alugwagwisi, lungakhukhumali. 5Uthando alugezi, alufuni okukokwalo, alunachuku, alunanzondo. 6Uthando aluvuyiswa bububi, luvuyiswa yinyaniso. 7Uthando aluncami; lukholwa zizinto zonke, luthemba izinto zonke, lunyamezela izinto zonke.
8Uthando alupheli. Zikho zona iintshumayelo ezinefuthe, kodwa ziyatshitsha. Zikho neziphiwo zokuthetha iilwimi, kodwa nazo ziyabhanga. Kukwakho nokwazi, kodwa kuyadlula nako. 9Kaloku ezi ziphiwo sinazo zokwazi nokushumayela azigqibelelanga. 10Kodwa ke xa kuthe kwafika oko kugqibeleleyo okungagqibelelanga kuya kuphuthiswa konke.
11Xeshikweni bendingumntwana, bendithetha njengomntwana, ndicinga njengomntwana, ndinezimvo zobuntwana; njengoko ke ndimdala, ndahlukene ngoku neendlela zobuntwana. 12Into 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.
13Ngalinye ke, zintathu izinto eziya kuhlala zihleli: lukholo, nethemba, nothando. Engaphezu kwazo zonke ke luthando.
