1 ف َحِينَ جِئتُكُمْ أيُّها الإخوَةُ، لَمْ آتِ مُذِيعاً عَلَيكُمْ سِرَّ اللهِ بِكَلامِ البَلاغَةِ أوْ بِالحِكْمَةِ البَشَرِيَّةِ.

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

2 ف َإنَّنِي صَمَّمتُ ألّا أعرِفَ شَيئاً وَأنا بَينَكُمْ إلّا يَسُوعَ المَسِيحَ وَمَوتَهُ عَلَى الصَّلِيبِ.

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

3 ف َجِئتُكُمْ فِي ضَعفٍ وَخَوفٍ وَارتِعابٍ شَدِيدٍ.

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

4 و َلَمْ أُقَدِّمْ كَلامِي وَرِسالَتِي بِكَلِماتٍ مُقنِعَةٍ مِنَ الحِكْمَةِ البَشَرِيَّةِ، بَلْ بِبُرهانِ الرُّوحِ وَقُوَّتِهِ.

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

5 و َذَلِكَ لِكَي لا يَعْتَمِدَ إيمانُكُمْ عَلَى حِكْمَةِ البَشَرِ، بَلْ عَلَى قُوَّةِ اللهِ. حِكمَةُ الله

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

6 ي ُعلِنُ كلامُنا حِكمَةً بَينَ النّاضِجِينَ، لَكِنَّها لَيسَتْ حِكمَةَ هَذا العالَمِ، وَلا هِيَ مِنْ حُكّامِ هَذا العالَمِ الزّائِلِينَ.

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

7 ل َكِنَّنا نَتَكَلَّمُ عَنْ سِرِّ حِكمَةِ اللهِ الَّتِي كانَتْ مَخفِيَّةً عَنِ النّاسِ، لَكِنَّ اللهَ حَدَّدَها مُسبَقاً قَبلَ بَدءِ الزَّمانِ مِنْ أجلِ مَجدِنا.

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

8 و َهِيَ حِكمَةٌ لَمْ يَعرِفْها أيٌّ مِنْ حُكّامِ هَذا العالَمِ. فَلَو عَرَفُوها، لَما صَلَبُوا الرَّبَّ المَجِيدَ.

which 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;

9 ل َكِنْ كَما يَقُولُ الكِتابُ: «ما لَمْ تُبصِرْهُ عَينٌ، وَلا سَمِعَتْ بِهِ أُذُنٌ، وَلا تَخَيَّلَهُ فِكرُ بَشَرٍ، ما أعَدَّهُ اللهُ لِلَّذينَ يُحِبُّونَهُ.»

but, 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 --'

10 ل َكِنَّ اللهَ أعلَنَهُ لَنا بِالرَّوحِ القُدُسِ. فَالرُّوحُ يَكشِفُ كُلَّ شَيءٍ، حَتَّى أعماقَ اللهِ.

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

11 ف َلا أحَدَ يَعرِفُ أفكارَ الإنسانِ إلّا رُوحُ الإنسانِ الَّتِي فِيهِ، كَذَلِكَ لا أحَدَ يَعرِفُ أفكارَ اللهِ إلّا رُوحُ اللهِ.

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

12 ل َكِنَّنا لَمْ نَنَلْ رُوحَ العالَمِ، بَلِ الرُّوحَ الَّذِي يَأتِي مِنَ اللهِ، لِكَي نَعرِفَ الأشياءَ الَّتِي وَهَبَنا إيّاها اللهُ.

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

13 و َهِيَ الأشياءُ الَّتِي نَتَكَلَّمُ بِها وَلَمْ نَتَعَلَّمْها مِنْ بَشَرٍ، وَإنَّما هِيَ كَلِماتٌ يُعَلِّمُها لَنا الرُّوحُ القُدُسُ، فَنُفَسِّرُ الحَقائِقَ الرُّوحِيَّةَ بِكَلِماتٍ رُوحِيَّةٍ.

which 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,

14 ف َالشَّخصُ الَّذِي لَيسَ فِيهِ رُوحُ اللهِ لا يَقبَلُ الحَقائِقَ الَّتِي يُعلِنُها رُوحُ اللهِ، لِأنَّهُ يَعتَبِرُها حَماقَةً، وَلا يَستَطِيعُ أنْ يَفهَمَها، لِأنَّها تُقاسُ بِمِقياسٍ رُوحِيٍّ.

and 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, because spiritually they are discerned;

15 أ مّا الشَّخصُ الرُّوحِيُّ فَيَستَطِيعُ أنْ يَقِيسَ كُلَّ الأُمُورِ، لَكِنْ لا يُمكِنُ لِلآخَرِينَ أنْ يَقِيسُوهُ.

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

16 ف َكَما هُوَ مَكتُوبٌ: «مَنْ ذا الَّذِي يَعرِفُ فِكرَ الرَّبِّ، مَنْ يَستَطيعُ أنْ يُعَلِّمَ الرَّبَّ؟» أمّا نَحنُ فَلَنا فِكرُ المَسِيحِ.

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