1 Corinthians 3:18-20
1 Corinthians 3:18-20 The Message (MSG)
Don’t fool yourself. Don’t think that you can be wise merely by being relevant. Be God’s fool—that’s the path to true wisdom. What the world calls smart, God calls stupid. It’s written in Scripture, He exposes the hype of the hipsters. The Master sees through the smoke screens of the know-it-alls.
1 Corinthians 3:18-20 King James Version (KJV)
Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
1 Corinthians 3:18-20 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS”; and again, “THE LORD KNOWS THE REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS.”
1 Corinthians 3:18-20 New Century Version (NCV)
Do not fool yourselves. If you think you are wise in this world, you should become a fool so that you can become truly wise, because the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. It is written in the Scriptures, “He catches those who are wise in their own clever traps.” It is also written in the Scriptures, “The Lord knows what wise people think. He knows their thoughts are just a puff of wind.”
1 Corinthians 3:18-20 American Standard Version (ASV)
Let no man deceive himself. If any man thinketh that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He that taketh the wise in their craftiness: and again, The Lord knoweth the reasonings of the wise, that they are vain.
1 Corinthians 3:18-20 New International Version (NIV)
Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”
1 Corinthians 3:18-20 New King James Version (NKJV)
Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; and again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”
1 Corinthians 3:18-20 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool [discarding his worldly pretensions and acknowledging his lack of wisdom], so that he may become [truly] wise. [Is 5:21] For the wisdom of this world is foolishness (absurdity, stupidity) before God; for it is written [in Scripture], “[He is] THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE and CLEVER IN THEIR CRAFTINESS;” [Job 5:13] and again, “THE LORD KNOWS THE THOUGHTS of the [humanly] wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS.” [Ps 94:11]
1 Corinthians 3:18-20 New Living Translation (NLT)
Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, “He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.” And again
1 Corinthians 3:18-20 The Passion Translation (TPT)
So why fool yourself and live under an illusion? Make no mistake about it, if anyone thinks he is wise by the world’s standards, he will be made wiser by being a fool for God! For what the world says is wisdom is actually foolishness in God’s eyes. As it is written: The cleverness of the know-it-alls becomes the trap that ensnares them. And again
1 Corinthians 3:18-20 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)
Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”