There is a secret truth, my friends, which I want you to know, for it will keep you from thinking how wise you are. It is that the stubbornness of the people of Israel is not permanent, but will last only until the complete number of Gentiles comes to God.

People who promise things that they never give are like clouds and wind that bring no rain.

The most stupid fool is better off than those who think they are wise when they are not.

"You felt sure of yourself in your evil; you thought that no one could see you. Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray, and you said to yourself, 'I am God--- there is no one else like me.'

How can you say that you are wise and that you know my laws? Look, the laws have been changed by dishonest scribes.

Your wise men are put to shame; they are confused and trapped. They have rejected my words; what wisdom do they have now?

At the sight of this, people feel stupid and senseless; those who make idols are disillusioned, because the gods they make are false and lifeless.

but if your eyes are no good, your body will be in darkness. So if the light in you is darkness, how terribly dark it will be!

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.

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.

For what this world considers to be wisdom is nonsense in God's sight. As the scripture says, "God traps the wise in their cleverness";