Translations
F.O.G.MPrimary
F.O.G MessageAnd again: "The Lord knows that the reasonings of the wise are futile."
F.O.GSecondary
The F.O.GAnd again: "The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise — that they are empty."
KJV
King James VersionAnd again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
BSB
Berean Standard BibleAnd again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”
Footnotes
Paul quotes Psalm 94:11 (LXX) with a deliberate modification: the Psalm reads "the thoughts of men (ἀνθρώπων)" but Paul substitutes "of the wise (σοφῶν)" — turning a general statement about human futility into a targeted indictment of those who pride themselves on intellectual wisdom. μάταιοι ("empty/futile/vain") is the same word as Ecclesiastes' ματαιότης ("vanity"), an intertextual echo Paul's Jewish audience would likely recognise. The F.O.G renders it "empty" to preserve the Ecclesiastes resonance of hollowness; the F.O.G Message uses "futile" to emphasise purposelessness.