that I will not keep anything of yours, not even a thread or a sandal strap. Then you can never say, 'I am the one who made Abram rich.'

The LORD said to Gideon, "The men you have are too many for me to give them victory over the Midianites. They might think that they had won by themselves, and so give me no credit.

And so I predicted your future long ago, announcing events before they took place, to keep you from claiming that your idols and images made them happen.

Only now am I making them happen; nothing like this took place in the past. If it had, you would claim that you knew all about it.

"I, the LORD, will give victory to the armies of Judah first, so that the honor which the descendants of David and the people of Jerusalem will receive will be no greater than that of the rest of Judah.

(SEE 12:1)

Did you overhear the plans God made? Does human wisdom belong to you alone?

We learned our wisdom from gray-haired people--- those born before your father.

You are doomed! You think you are wise, so very clever.

The LORD says, "The wise should not boast of their wisdom, nor the strong of their strength, nor the rich of their wealth.

You think you are wiser than Danel, that no secret can be kept from you.

The scripture says, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and set aside the understanding of the scholars."

For God in his wisdom made it impossible for people to know him by means of their own wisdom. Instead, by means of the so-called "foolish" message we preach, God decided to save those who believe.

God purposely chose what the world considers nonsense in order to shame the wise, and he chose what the world considers weak in order to shame the powerful.

This means that no one can boast in God's presence.

You should not fool yourself. If any of you think that you are wise by this world's standards, you should become a fool, in order to be really wise.

He said, "I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing. The LORD gave, and now he has taken away. May his name be praised!"

Job answered, "You are talking nonsense! When God sends us something good, we welcome it. How can we complain when he sends us trouble?" Even in all this suffering Job said nothing against God.

Like a storm, God destroys them in his anger.

Almighty God has shot me with arrows, and their poison spreads through my body. God has lined up his terrors against me.

Can't you see it is God who has done this? He has set a trap to catch me.

You are my friends! Take pity on me! The hand of God has struck me down.

Jesus answered, "You have authority over me only because it was given to you by God. So the man who handed me over to you is guilty of a worse sin."