Romans 1:22
20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts.
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools,
23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another.
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools,
- KJV
- Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
- WEB
- Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
- ASV
- Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
- DARBY
- professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
- BLB
- Professing to be wise, they became fools,
- ÅB
- Mens de påsto å være vise, ble de dårer,
- OTB
- Selv om de hevdet å være kloke, ble de dårer
- B1930
- Mens de gjorde sig til av å være vise, blev de dårer,
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
1 Corinthians 1:19–21
For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
Read in contextProverbs 26:12
Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
Read in contextRomans 11:25
I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.
Read in contextProverbs 25:14
Like clouds and wind without rain is the man who boasts of gifts never given.
Read in contextJeremiah 8:8–9
How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the Law of the LORD is with us,’ when in fact the lying pen of the scribes has produced a deception?
Read in contextJeremiah 10:14
Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them.
Read in context1 Corinthians 3:18–19
Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.
Read in contextMatthew 6:23
But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
Read in context