1 Corinthians 2

1 So when I came to you, brothers, I did not come proclaiming God's testimony to you with a ‘superior’ speech or wisdom.

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.

2 For I determined to ‘know’ nothing while among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

3 Also, I was with you in weakness, in fear, and with much trembling.

I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.

4 Yes, my message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,

5 so that your faith not be in men's wisdom, but in God's power.

so that your faith would not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.

6 However, we do speak wisdom among the mature, albeit not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are being set aside; (aiōn g165)

Among the mature, however, we speak a message of wisdom—but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. (aiōn g165)

7 but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom that God ordained before the ages for our glory, (aiōn g165)

No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began. (aiōn g165)

8 that none of the rulers of this age have understood (because if they had understood, they would not have crucified the Lord of the glory). (aiōn g165)

None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (aiōn g165)

9 However, as it is written: “Things no eye has seen and no ear has heard, and no heart of man has imagined, such things has God prepared for those who love Him.”

Rather, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

10 But to us God has revealed them by His Spirit; because the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

11 Now who among men knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? So also no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.

For who among men knows the thoughts of man except his own spirit within him? So too, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, so that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God;

We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

13 which things we also expound, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Holy Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to spiritual people.

And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

14 Now a soulish man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; indeed, he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

15 But he who is spiritual evaluates everything, while not being himself subject to anyone's judgment.

The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment.

16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

“For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.