Ecclesiastes 1:12-18
New American Standard Bible
The Futility of Wisdom
12 I, the (A)Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I (B)set my [a]mind to seek and (C)explore by wisdom about everything that has been done under heaven. It is a [b](D)sorry task with which God has given the sons of mankind to be troubled. 14 I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is (E)futility and striving after wind. 15 What is (F)crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I [c]said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased (G)wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my [d]mind has observed [e]a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I (H)applied my [f]mind to know wisdom and to (I)know insanity and foolishness; I realized that this also is (J)striving after wind. 18 Because (K)in much wisdom there is much grief; and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.
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- Ecclesiastes 1:13 Lit heart
- Ecclesiastes 1:13 Lit evil
- Ecclesiastes 1:16 Lit spoke with my heart, saying
- Ecclesiastes 1:16 Lit heart
- Ecclesiastes 1:16 Lit an abundance
- Ecclesiastes 1:17 Lit heart
Ecclesiastes 1:12-18
American Standard Version
12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven: it is a sore travail that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith. 14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and [a]a striving after wind. 15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and [b]that which is wanting cannot be numbered. 16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom [c]above all that were before me [d]in Jerusalem; yea, my heart [e]hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. 17 And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also was a striving after wind. 18 For in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
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- Ecclesiastes 1:14 Or, a feeding on wind (See Hos. 12:1). Or, vexation of spirit (and so elsewhere).
- Ecclesiastes 1:15 Hebrew defect.
- Ecclesiastes 1:16 Or, yea, more than all
- Ecclesiastes 1:16 Hebrew over.
- Ecclesiastes 1:16 Hebrew hath seen abundantly.
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