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)

¹³ But the prince^(A) of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael,^(B) one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.

²⁰ So he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece^(A) will come;

¹² It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you,^(A) when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you^(B) by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.^(C) Even angels long to look into these things.