1 ¶ And I, brothers, when I came to you, came not with puffed up speech or wisdom to declare unto you the testimony of God.

And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.

2 F or I judged not to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

3 A nd I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.

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

4 A nd my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

5 t hat your faith should not be founded in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

6 ¶ For we speak perfect wisdom of God, and not the wisdom of this age nor of the princes of this age, that come to nought,

Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away;

7 b ut we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages unto our glory,

but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory;

8 w hich none of the princes of this age knew (for had they known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory).

the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;

9 B ut as it is written, That which eye has not seen nor ear heard neither has entered into the heart of man is that which God has prepared for those that love him.

but just as it is written, “ Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”

10 B ut God has revealed this unto us by his Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

11 F or who among men knows the things of man, except the spirit of man which is in him? Even so no one has known the things of God, but the Spirit of God.

For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.

12 N ow we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that God has given us.

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,

13 W hich things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches, but with doctrine of the Holy Spirit, jointly fitting spiritual things by spiritual means.

which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

14 B ut the natural man does not perceive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

15 B ut he that is spiritual discerns all things, yet he is discerned by no one.

But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.

16 F or who has known the understanding of the Lord? Who has instructed him? But we have the understanding of Christ.

For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him ? But we have the mind of Christ.