Ecclesiastes 1:17 “So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that…”

Ecclesiastes 1:17

So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind.

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

King James Version

And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

World English Bible

I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.

American Standard Version

And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.

Geneva Bible 1599

And I gaue mine heart to knowe wisdome and knowledge, madnes and foolishnes: I knew also that this is a vexation of the spirit.

Darby Translation

And I applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the wind.

Young's Literal Translation

And I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this [is] vexation of spirit;

Bible in Basic English

And I gave my heart to getting knowledge of wisdom, and of the ways of the foolish. And I saw that this again was desire for wind.

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Cross references

“I gave”

Ecclesiastes 2:3 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Ecclesiastes 7:23–25 Ecclesiastes 1:13 Ecclesiastes 2:12

Ecclesiastes 2:3 · BSB

I sought to cheer my body with wine and to embrace folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—until I could see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 · BSB

but test all things. Hold fast to what is good.

Ecclesiastes 7:23–25 · BSB

All this I tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me.

Ecclesiastes 1:13 · BSB

And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a miserable task God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them!

Ecclesiastes 2:12 · BSB

Then I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what more can the king’s successor do than what has already been accomplished?

“I perceived”

Ecclesiastes 2:10 Ecclesiastes 2:11

Ecclesiastes 2:10 · BSB

Anything my eyes desired, I did not deny myself. I refused my heart no pleasure. For my heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.

Ecclesiastes 2:11 · BSB

Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

Cross references adapted from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0) and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

In context

16I said to myself, “Behold, I have grown and increased in wisdom beyond all those before me who were over Jerusalem, and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”

18For with much wisdom comes much sorrow, and as knowledge grows, grief increases.

Read Ecclesiastes 1