¹⁶ So I said, “Wisdom is better than might; yet the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heeded.”^(A)

¹⁹ Wisdom gives strength to the wise more than ten rulers who are in a city.^(A)

² On the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands!^{(A) 3} Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary^[a] and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense^[b] at him.^(B)

² For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, ³ and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here in a good place, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit by my footstool,”^{(A) 4} have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? ⁵ Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?^{(B) 6} But you have dishonored the poor person. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into the courts?^(C)

²⁶ Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards,^[a] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.^{(A) 27} But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;^{(B) 28} God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to abolish things that are, ²⁹ so that no one^[b] might boast in the presence of God.^(C)

⁴⁷ Then the Pharisees replied, “Surely you have not been deceived, too, have you? ⁴⁸ Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him?^{(A) 49} But this crowd, which does not know the law, they are accursed.”