The Futility of Wisdom

¹² I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. ¹³ And I set my mind to seek and explore by [man’s] ^[a]wisdom all [human activity] that has been done under heaven. It is a miserable business and a burdensome task which ^[b]God has given the sons of men with which to be busy and distressed. ¹⁴ I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity, a futile grasping and chasing after the wind. ¹⁵ What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is defective and lacking cannot be counted.

¹⁶ I spoke with my heart, saying, “Behold, I have acquired great [human] wisdom and experience, more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of [moral] wisdom and [scientific] knowledge.” ¹⁷ And I set my mind to know [practical] wisdom and to discern [the character of] madness and folly [in which men seem to find satisfaction]; I realized that this too is a futile grasping and chasing after the wind.^{(A) 18} For in much [human] wisdom there is much displeasure and exasperation; increasing knowledge increases sorrow.