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; alukhukhumali;"
5 alwenzi okuziintloni; alufuni okukokwalo kodwa; alucaphuki; alunanzondo;"
6 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."