1 Korinte

13 Nokuba ndingade ndithethe ngeelwimi+ zabantu nezeengelosi kodwa ukuba andinalo uthando, ndisuke ndaba yixina ehlokomayo okanye icangci elikhenkcezayo.+ 2 Ndingade ndibe naso nesiphiwo sokuprofeta+ yaye ndiqhelane nazo zonke iimfihlelo ezingcwele+ nalo lonke ulwazi,+ ndinalo nokholo lokususa iintaba,+ kodwa ukuba andinalo uthando, ndiyinto engento.+ 3 Ndingade ndinikele ngayo yonke impahla yam ukuze kondliwe abanye,+ ndinikela nangomzimba wam,+ ukuze ndiqhayise, kodwa ukuba andinalo uthando,+ akuncedi nto konke konke.

4 Uthando+ luzeka kade umsindo+ yaye lunobubele.+ Uthando alunakhwele,+ alugwagwisi,+ alukhukhumali,+ 5 aluziphathi ngokungandilisekanga,+ alufuni ezalo izilangazelelo,+ alucaphuki.+ Alunanzondo.+ 6 Alubi nemihlali ngentswela-bulungisa,+ kodwa luvuyisana nenyaniso.+ 7 Luthwala izinto zonke,+ lukholelwa izinto zonke,+ luthemba izinto zonke,+ lunyamezela izinto zonke.+

8 Uthando aluze lutshitshe.+ Kodwa enoba kukho iziphiwo zokuprofeta, ziya kubhangiswa; enoba kukho iilwimi, ziya kuphela; enoba kukho ulwazi, luya kubhangiswa.+ 9 Kuba sinolwazi oluyinxenye+ yaye siprofeta ngokuyinxenye;+ 10 kodwa xa oko kupheleleyo kufika,+ oko kuyinxenye kuya kubhangiswa. 11 Xa ndandilusana, ndandifudula ndithetha ngokosana, ndicinga ngokosana, ndiqiqa ngokosana; kodwa ekubeni ngoku ndiyindoda,+ ndizibhangisile iimpawu zobusana. 12 Kuba okwangoku sibona luzizi ngesipili sesinyithi,+ kodwa ngoko siya kubona ubuso ngobuso.+ Okwangoku ndazi ngokuyinxenye, kodwa ngoko ndiya kwazi ngokuchanileyo kwananjengoko nam ndisaziwa ngokuchanileyo.+ 13 Noko ke, zintathu izinto eziya kuhlala zihleli, lukholo, nethemba, nothando; kodwa eyona inkulu kuzo luthando.+