¹⁷ Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom,^(A) and also of madness and folly,^(B) but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.

³ I tried cheering myself with wine,^(A) and embracing folly^(B)—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.

²¹ but test them all;^(A) hold on to what is good,^(B)

²³ All this I tested by wisdom and I said,

Wisdom and Folly Are Meaningless

¹³ I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens.^(A) What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind!^{(B) 14} I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.^(C)