Ecclesiastes 2:12
“¶ And I turned my selfe to behold wisedome, and madnesse and folly: for what can the man doe, that commeth after the king? euen that which hath bene already done.”
1611 King James Version (KJV)
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Ecclesiastes 2:12 Context
10And whatsoeuer mine eyes desired, I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any ioy: for my heart reioyced in all my labour; and this was my portion of all my labour. 11Then I looked on all the workes that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to doe: and behold, all was vanitie, and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit vnder the Sunne. 12¶ And I turned my selfe to behold wisedome, and madnesse and folly: for what can the man doe, that commeth after the king? euen that which hath bene already done. 13Then I saw that wisedome excelleth folly, as farre as light excelleth darkenesse. 14The wise mans eyes are in his head, but the foole walketh in darknes: and I my selfe perceiued also that one euent happeneth to them all.
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Other Translations for Ecclesiastes 2:12
And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what [can] the man [do] that cometh after the king? [even] that which hath been already done.
- King James Version
So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly; for what {will} the man {do} who will come after the king {except} what has already been done?
- New American Standard Version (1995)
And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what `can' the man `do' that cometh after the king? `even' that which hath been done long ago.
- American Standard Version (1901)
And I went again in search of wisdom and of foolish ways. What may the man do who comes after the king? The thing which he has done before.
- Basic English Bible
And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly; for what shall the man [do] that cometh after the king? -- that which hath already been done.
- Darby Bible
And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.
- Webster's Bible
I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly: for what can the king's successor do? Just that which has been done long ago.
- World English Bible
And I turned to see wisdom, and madness, and folly, but what [is] the man who cometh after the king? that which [is] already -- they have done it!
- Youngs Literal Bible
And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness and folly; for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.
- Jewish Publication Society Bible
Wesley's Notes for Ecclesiastes 2:12
2:12 I turned - Being frustrated of my hopes in pleasure, I returned to a second consideration of my first choice, to see whether there was not more satisfaction to be gotten from wisdom, than I discovered at my first view. Done - As by others, so especially by myself. They can make no new discoveries as to this point. They can make no more of the pleasures of sense than I have done. Let me then try once more, whether wisdom can give happiness.