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1 Corinthians 1:26-31
New International Version
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
New International Version
26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.(A) Not many of you were wise(B) by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose(C) the foolish(D) things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not(E)—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.(F) 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,(G) who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness,(H) holiness(I) and redemption.(J) 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”[a](K)
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 1:31 Jer. 9:24
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
English Standard Version
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
English Standard Version
26 For consider your calling, brothers: (A)not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,[a] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But (B)God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; (C)God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even (D)things that are not, to (E)bring to nothing things that are, 29 so (F)that no human being[b] might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him[c] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us (G)wisdom from God, (H)righteousness and (I)sanctification and (J)redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, (K)“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
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- 1 Corinthians 1:26 Greek according to the flesh
- 1 Corinthians 1:29 Greek no flesh
- 1 Corinthians 1:30 Greek And from him
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
New American Standard Bible
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
New American Standard Bible
26 For [a]consider your (A)calling, brothers and sisters, that there were (B)not many wise according to [b]the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but (C)God has chosen the foolish things of (D)the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of (E)the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the [c]insignificant things of (F)the world and the despised God has chosen, (G)the things that are not, so that He may (H)nullify the things that are, 29 so that (I)no [d]human may boast before God. 30 But it is [e]due to Him that you are in (J)Christ Jesus, who became to us (K)wisdom from God, [f]and (L)righteousness and (M)sanctification, and (N)redemption, 31 so that, just as it is written: “(O)Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
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- 1 Corinthians 1:26 Lit see
- 1 Corinthians 1:26 I.e., human standards
- 1 Corinthians 1:28 Or lowly
- 1 Corinthians 1:29 Lit flesh
- 1 Corinthians 1:30 Lit from Him
- 1 Corinthians 1:30 Or both
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
New King James Version
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
New King James Version
Glory Only in the Lord
26 For [a]you see your calling, brethren, (A)that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many [b]noble, are called. 27 But (B)God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the [c]base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and (C)righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, (D)“He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Corinthians 1:26 consider
- 1 Corinthians 1:26 well-born
- 1 Corinthians 1:28 insignificant or lowly
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
The Message
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
The Message
26-31 Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don’t see many of “the brightest and the best” among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That’s why we have the saying, “If you’re going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God.”
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New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson