¹Ndugu, mimi nilipokuja kwenu sikuwahubiria siri ya ujumbe wa Mungu kwa ufasaha wa lugha, au kwa hekima ya binadamu.

¹And I, having come unto you, brethren, came — not in superiority of discourse or wisdom — declaring to you the testimony of God,

²Nilipokuwa kwenu niliamua kutojua chochote kile isipokuwa tu kumjua Yesu Kristo; naam, Kristo aliyesulubiwa.

²for I decided not to know any thing among you, except Jesus Christ, and him crucified;

³Nilipokuwa kwenu nilikuwa dhaifu, natetemeka kwa hofu nyingi.

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

⁴Hotuba zangu na mahubiri yangu sikuyatoa kwa maneno ya kuvutia na ya hekima, bali kwa uthibitisho mwingi na nguvu ya Roho.

⁴and my word and my preaching was not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power —

⁵Nilifanya hivyo kusudi imani yenu ipate kutegemea nguvu ya Mungu, na si hekima ya binadamu.

⁵that your faith may not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

⁶Hata hivyo, sisi tunatumia lugha ya hekima kwa wale waliokomaa kiroho; lakini hekima hiyo si ya hapa duniani, wala si ya watawala wa dunia hii ambao wako katika mkumbo wa kupotea.

⁶And wisdom we speak among the perfect, and wisdom not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age — of those becoming useless,

⁷Hekima tunayotumia ni hekima ya siri ya Mungu, hekima iliyofichika, ambayo Mungu aliiazimia tangu mwanzo kwa ajili ya utukufu wetu.

⁷but we speak the hidden wisdom of God in a secret, that God foreordained before the ages to our glory,

⁸Ni hekima ambayo watawala wa dunia hii hawakuielewa; maana wangalielewa, hawangalimsulubisha Bwana wa utukufu.

⁸which no one of the rulers of this age did know, for if they had known, the Lord of the glory they would not have crucified;

⁹Lakini, ni kama yasemavyo Maandiko Matakatifu: "Mambo ambayo jicho halijapata kuyaona wala sikio kuyasikia, mambo ambayo binadamu hajapata kuyafikiria moyoni, hayo ndiyo Mungu aliyowatayarishia wale wampendao."

⁹but, according as it hath been written, `What eye did not see, and ear did not hear, and upon the heart of man came not up, what God did prepare for those loving Him —`

¹⁰Hayo ndiyo mambo Mungu aliyotufunulia kwa njia ya Roho wake. Maana Roho huchunguza kila kitu hata mambo ya ndani kabisa ya Mungu.

¹⁰but to us did God reveal [them] through His Spirit, for the Spirit all things doth search, even the depths of God,

¹¹Nani awezaye kujua mambo ya ndani ya mtu isipokuwa roho yake mtu huyo? Hali kadhalika, hakuna ajuaye mambo ya Mungu isipokuwa Roho wa Mungu.

¹¹for who of men hath known the things of the man, except the spirit of the man that [is] in him? so also the things of God no one hath known, except the Spirit of God.

¹²Sasa sisi hatukuipokea roho ya ulimwengu, bali tumepokea Roho atokaye kwa Mungu ili atuwezeshe kujua yale tuliyojaliwa na Mungu.

¹²And we the spirit of the world did not receive, but the Spirit that [is] of God, that we may know the things conferred by God on us,

¹³Basi sisi twafundisha, si kwa maneno tuliyofundishwa kwa hekima ya binadamu, bali kwa maneno tuliyofundishwa na Roho, tukifafanua mambo ya kiroho kwa walio na huyo Roho.

¹³which things also we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Holy Spirit, with spiritual things spiritual things comparing,

¹⁴Mtu wa kidunia hapokei mambo ya Roho wa Mungu. Kwake mtu huyo mambo hayo ni upumbavu mtupu; yanapita akili yake; maana yanaweza tu kutambuliwa kwa msaada wa Roho.

¹⁴and the natural man doth not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for to him they are foolishness, and he is not able to know [them], because spiritually they are discerned;

¹⁵Lakini mtu aliye na huyo Roho anaweza kubainisha ubora wa kila kitu, naye mwenyewe hahukumiwi na mtu mwingine.

¹⁵and he who is spiritual, doth discern indeed all things, and he himself is by no one discerned;

¹⁶Maandiko yasema: "Nani awezaye kuifahamu akili ya Bwana? Nani awezaye kumshauri?" Lakini sisi tunayo akili ya Kristo.

¹⁶for who did know the mind of the Lord that he shall instruct Him? and we — we have the mind of Christ.