²⁶ Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when God chose you. Not many of you were considered wise by human standards. Not many of you were powerful. Not many of you belonged to important families. ²⁷ But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ God chose the things of this world that are common and looked down on. God chose things considered unimportant to do away with things considered important.