1 KwabaseKhorinte 13

1 Nxa ngingakhuluma ngendimi zabantu lezezingilosi, kodwa ngingelathando, ngizakuba lithusi elikhalayo kumbe insimbi encencethayo.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

2 Njalo loba ngingaba lesiprofetho, ngisazi imfihlo zonke lokwazi konke, njalo uba ngilokholo lonke, ukuze ngisuse izintaba, kodwa ngingelathando, angisilutho.

If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

3 Njalo loba ngingabela abayanga konke engilakho, njalo uba nginganikela umzimba wami ukuthi ngitshiswe, kodwa ngingelathando, kakungisizi ngalutho.

If I give away all my possessions to feed others, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but do not have love, I receive no benefit.

4 Uthando luyabekezela, lulobubele; uthando kalulamona; uthando kaluzincomi, kalukhukhunyezwa,

Love is patient and kind. Love does not envy or boast. It is not puffed up

5 kaluziphathi ngokungafanelanga, kaluzidingeli okwalo, kalucunuki, kalunakani okubi,

or rude. It does not seek its own way, it is not irritable, and it keeps no record of wrongs.

6 kaluthokozi ngokungalunganga, kodwa luthokoza eqinisweni;

It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.

7 lusibekela izinto zonke, lukholwa izinto zonke, luthemba izinto zonke, lubekezelela izinto zonke.

It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

8 Uthando kalungeke lwehluleke. Kumbe-ke iziprofetho, zizakwenziwa ziphele; kumbe indimi, zizakhawula; kumbe ulwazi, luzakwenziwa luphele.

Love never fails. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end.

9 Ngoba sazi nganxanye, siprofetha nganxanye;

Now we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10 kodwa lapho sekufikile okupheleleyo, khona okuyingxenye kuzakwenziwa ize.

Yet when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end.

11 Lapho ngilusane, ngakhuluma njengosane, ngaqedisisa njengosane, nganakana njengosane; kodwa kuthe sengiyindoda, ngazenza ize izinto zosane.

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, and I reasoned like a child. But when I became a man, I set aside childish ways.

12 Ngoba khathesi sibona esibukweni kaluvivi, kodwa ngalesosikhathi ubuso ngobuso; khathesi ngazi nganxanye, kodwa ngalesosikhathi ngizakwazi njengoba-ke ngangisaziwa.

For now we see in a mirror by means of an obscure image, but then we will see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known.

13 Njalo khathesi-ke kumi ukholo, ithemba, uthando, lokhu kokuthathu; kodwa okukhulu kulokhu luthando.

And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.