And again is a standard way in biblical Greek of introducing the second and later items in a series of quotations (compare Rom 15.10-12; Heb 1.5; 10.30). Good News Bible‘s “and another scripture says” is better English style. One may also render this as “and in another passage of scripture we find (or, read).”

The quotation in this verse is from Psa 94.11 and follows the Septuagint, except that it replaces “people” by “wise,” perhaps under the influence of the quotation in verse 19. This quotation, even more than the first, develops and supports the statement in verse 19a about “what God calls folly.”

The word for thoughts can mean thoughts expressed in “reasoning” (Moffatt), “plans” (New Jerusalem Bible), or “arguments” (Revised English Bible, Jerusalem Bible). These renderings would fit in well with Paul’s argument. Psalm 94 is concerned with thoughts that only God can know about, and Paul expresses this idea in 4.5 when he says that “the Lord … will disclose the purposes of the heart.” For the moment, though, Paul seems more concerned with views that wrongly claim to be wisdom. So he puts emphasis on the final word futile. Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Bible make this emphasis clear.

Futile may also be expressed as “useless” or “meaningless.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .