Ecclesiastes 7:25 “I directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and…”

Ecclesiastes 7:25

I directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness.

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

King James Version

I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:

World English Bible

I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.

American Standard Version

I turned about, and my heart was set to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the reason of things, and to know that wickedness is folly, and that foolishness is madness.

Geneva Bible 1599

All this haue I prooued by wisedome: I thought I will be wise, but it went farre from me.

Darby Translation

I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness;

Young's Literal Translation

I have turned round, also my heart, to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and reason, and to know the wrong of folly, and of foolishness the madness.

Bible in Basic English

I gave my mind to knowledge and to searching for wisdom and the reason of things, and to the discovery that sin is foolish, and that to be foolish is to be without one's senses.

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Cross references

“I applied mine heart”

Ecclesiastes 1:13–17 Ecclesiastes 2:1–3 Ecclesiastes 2:12 Ecclesiastes 2:20

Ecclesiastes 1:13–17 · 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 2:1–3 · BSB

I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good!” But it proved to be futile.

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?

Ecclesiastes 2:20 · BSB

So my heart began to despair over all the labor that I had done under the sun.

“the reason”

Ecclesiastes 7:27 Ecclesiastes 2:15 2 Peter 2:3–9 2 Peter 3:3–9 Ecclesiastes 3:16 Ecclesiastes 3:17

Ecclesiastes 7:27 · BSB

“Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.

Ecclesiastes 2:15 · BSB

So I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will also befall me. What then have I gained by being wise?” And I said to myself that this too is futile.

2 Peter 2:3–9 · BSB

In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep.

2 Peter 3:3–9 · BSB

Most importantly, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.

Ecclesiastes 3:16 · BSB

Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

Ecclesiastes 3:17 · BSB

I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.”

“know”

Ecclesiastes 10:13 Joshua 7:13 Genesis 34:7 2 Samuel 13:12 Proverbs 17:12 Proverbs 26:11

Ecclesiastes 10:13 · BSB

The beginning of his talk is folly, and the end of his speech is evil madness.

Joshua 7:13 · BSB

Get up and consecrate the people, saying, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Among you, O Israel, there are things devoted to destruction. You cannot stand against yo…

Genesis 34:7 · BSB

When Jacob’s sons heard what had happened, they returned from the field. They were filled with grief and fury, because Shechem had committed an outrage in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be…

2 Samuel 13:12 · BSB

“No, my brother!” she cried. “Do not violate me, for such a thing should never be done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing!

Proverbs 17:12 · BSB

It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.

Proverbs 26:11 · BSB

As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

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

In context

24What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it?

26And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a net, and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is ensnared.

Read Ecclesiastes 7