²⁶ Consider your own calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong,^{(A) 28} and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something,

⁹ “I know your tribulation and poverty, but you are rich.^[a] I know the slander of those who claim to be Jews and are not, but rather are members of the assembly of Satan.^(A)