1 W hen I came to you, brothers, I didn’t come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.

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

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

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

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

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

4 M y speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

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

5 t hat your faith wouldn’t stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

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

6 W e speak wisdom, however, among those who are full grown; yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nothing.

¶ 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,

7 B ut we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom that has been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds for our glory,

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

8 w hich none of the rulers of this world has known. For had they known it, they wouldn’t have crucified the Lord of glory.

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

9 B ut as it is written, “Things which an eye didn’t see, and an ear didn’t hear, which didn’t enter into the heart of man, these God has prepared for those who love him.”

But 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.

10 B ut to us, God revealed them through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

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

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

For 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.

12 B ut 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 by God.

Now 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.

13 W hich things also we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things.

Which 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.

14 N ow the natural man doesn’t receive the things of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to him, and he can’t know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

But 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.

15 B ut he who is spiritual discerns all things, and he himself is judged by no one.

But he that is spiritual discerns all things, yet he is discerned by no one.

16 “ For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him?” But we have Christ’s mind.

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