The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “the thoughts of the wise are futile” or similar in English is translated in Huixtán Tzotzil as “I know the hearts of those who mistakenly think they are wise. I know that it’s just in vain what they think in their hearts.” Huixtán Tzotzil frequently uses the verb -cuy to express “to mistakenly think something” from the point of view of the speaker. (Source: Marion M. Cowan in Notes on Translation 20/1966, pp. 6ff.)

In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is translated as “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise. They are deaf blossoms.”

See also became futile in their thinking.