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)

¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him,^(A) the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.^{(B) 12} Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed^(C) in his name,^(D) he gave the right to become children of God^(E)— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.^(F)