Ecclesiastes 2:12 “Then I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what more…”

Ecclesiastes 2:12

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?

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

King James Version

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.

World English 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.

American Standard Version

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.

Geneva Bible 1599

And I turned to beholde wisedome, and madnes and follie: (for who is the man that will come after the King in things, which men nowe haue done?)

Darby Translation

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.

Young's Literal Translation

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!

Bible in Basic English

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.

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In context

11Yet 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.

13And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness:

Read Ecclesiastes 2