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

¹And I, brethren, when I came unto you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.

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

²For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

³Nilipokuwa kwenu nilikuwa dhaifu, natetemeka kwa hofu nyingi.

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

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

⁴And my speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of 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 should not stand 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.

⁶We speak wisdom, however, among them that are fullgrown: yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nought:

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

⁷but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, [even] the [wisdom] that hath been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds unto our glory:

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

⁸which none of the rulers of this world hath known: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory:

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 as it is written, Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not, And [which] entered not into the heart of man, Whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him.

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

¹⁰But unto us God revealed [them] through the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things 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 among men knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him? even so the things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit of God.

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

¹²But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of God.

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 which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth; combining spiritual things with spiritual [words].

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.

¹⁴Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged.

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

¹⁵But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, and he himself is judged of no man.

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

¹⁶For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.