Add parallel Print Page Options

16 So even though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long.

Read full chapter

16 So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.(A)

Read full chapter

19 One wise person is stronger than ten leading citizens of a town!

Read full chapter

19 Wisdom(A) makes one wise person more powerful(B)
    than ten rulers in a city.

Read full chapter

The wise are mightier than the strong,[a]
    and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 24:5 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads A wise man is strength.

Saying 22

The wise prevail through great power,
    and those who have knowledge muster their strength.

Read full chapter

22 The wise conquer the city of the strong
    and level the fortress in which they trust.

Read full chapter

22 One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty(A)
    and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.

Read full chapter

The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, “Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?” Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary[a] and the brother of James, Joseph,[b] Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 6:3a Some manuscripts read He’s just the son of the carpenter and of Mary.
  2. 6:3b Most manuscripts read Joses; see Matt 13:55.

When the Sabbath came,(A) he began to teach in the synagogue,(B) and many who heard him were amazed.(C)

“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph,[a] Judas and Simon?(D) Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.(E)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Mark 6:3 Greek Joses, a variant of Joseph

For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting[a] dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?

Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2:2 Greek your synagogue.

Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges(A) with evil thoughts?

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters:(B) Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world(C) to be rich in faith(D) and to inherit the kingdom(E) he promised those who love him?(F) But you have dishonored the poor.(G) Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?(H)

Read full chapter

15 The wealth of the rich is their fortress;
    the poverty of the poor is their destruction.

Read full chapter

15 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city,(A)
    but poverty is the ruin of the poor.(B)

Read full chapter

26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy[a] when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world,[b] things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1:26 Or high born.
  2. 1:28 Or God chose those who are low born.

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)

Read full chapter

47 “Have you been led astray, too?” the Pharisees mocked. 48 “Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him? 49 This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God’s curse is on them!”

Read full chapter

47 “You mean he has deceived you also?”(A) the Pharisees retorted. 48 “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?(B) 49 No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.”

Read full chapter

18 Better to have wisdom than weapons of war,
    but one sinner can destroy much that is good.

Read full chapter

18 Wisdom(A) is better than weapons of war,
    but one sinner destroys much good.

Read full chapter

24 So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this,[a] because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.”

25 “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”

26 “But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?”

27 “Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”

28 Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! 29 We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.”

30 “Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? 31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. 32 Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.”

34 “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 9:24 Or Give glory to God, not to Jesus; Greek reads Give glory to God.

24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,”(A) they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”(B)

25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

27 He answered, “I have told you already(C) and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”

28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses!(D) 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”(E)

30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.(F) 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God,(G) he could do nothing.”

34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth;(H) how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.(I)

Read full chapter