Ecclesiastes 1:18

Bible in Basic English (1941)

Because in much wisdom is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow.

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Referenced Verses

  • Eccl 12:12-13 : 12 And further, my son, take note of this: of the making of books there is no end, and much learning is a weariness to the flesh. 13 This is the last word. All has been said. Have fear of God and keep his laws; because this is right for every man.
  • 1 Cor 3:18-20 : 18 Let no man have a false idea. If any man seems to himself to be wise among you, let him become foolish, so that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolish before God. As it is said in the holy Writings, He who takes the wise in their secret designs: 20 And again, The Lord has knowledge of the reasonings of the wise, that they are nothing.
  • Job 28:28 : 28 And he said to man, Truly the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to keep from evil is the way to knowledge.
  • Eccl 2:15 : 15 Then said I in my heart: As it comes to the foolish man, so will it come to me; so why have I been wise overmuch? Then I said in my heart: This again is to no purpose.
  • Eccl 2:23 : 23 All his days are sorrow, and his work is full of grief. Even in the night his heart has no rest. This again is to no purpose.
  • Eccl 7:16 : 16 Be not given overmuch to righteousness and be not over-wise. Why let destruction come on you?
  • Jas 3:13-17 : 13 Who has wisdom and good sense among you? let him make his works clear by a life of gentle wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy in your heart and the desire to get the better of others, have no pride in this, talking falsely against what is true. 15 This wisdom is not from heaven, but is of the earth and the flesh and the Evil One. 16 For where envy is, and the desire to get the better of others, there is no order, but every sort of evil-doing. 17 But the wisdom which is from heaven is first holy, then gentle, readily giving way in argument, full of peace and mercy and good works, not doubting, not seeming other than it is.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Eccl 1:13-17
    5 verses
    85%

    13 And I gave my heart to searching out in wisdom all things which are done under heaven: it is a hard thing which God has put on the sons of men to do.

    14 I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.

    15 That which is bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not be numbered.

    16 I said to my heart, See, I have become great and am increased in wisdom more than any who were before me in Jerusalem--yes, my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.

    17 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.

  • 25 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.

  • Eccl 2:19-22
    4 verses
    75%

    19 And who is to say if that man will be wise or foolish? But he will have power over all my work which I have done and in which I have been wise under the sun. This again is to no purpose.

    20 So my mind was turned to grief for all the trouble I had taken and all my wisdom under the sun.

    21 Because there is a man whose work has been done with wisdom, with knowledge, and with an expert hand; but one who has done nothing for it will have it for his heritage. This again is to no purpose and a great evil.

    22 What does a man get for all his work, and for the weight of care with which he has done his work under the sun?

  • 26 To the man with whom he is pleased, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of getting goods together and storing up wealth, to give to him in whom God has pleasure. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.

  • Eccl 7:3-4
    2 verses
    75%

    3 Sorrow is better than joy; when the face is sad the mind gets better.

    4 The hearts of the wise are in the house of weeping; but the hearts of the foolish are in the house of joy.

  • 12 And further, my son, take note of this: of the making of books there is no end, and much learning is a weariness to the flesh.

  • Prov 1:5-7
    3 verses
    74%

    5 (The wise man, hearing, will get greater learning, and the acts of the man of good sense will be wisely guided:)

    6 To get the sense of wise sayings and secrets, and of the words of the wise and their dark sayings.

    7 The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.

  • Eccl 2:13-17
    5 verses
    74%

    13 Then I saw that wisdom is better than foolish ways--as the light is better than the dark.

    14 The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the foolish man goes walking in the dark; but still I saw that the same event comes to them all.

    15 Then said I in my heart: As it comes to the foolish man, so will it come to me; so why have I been wise overmuch? Then I said in my heart: This again is to no purpose.

    16 Of the wise man, as of the foolish man, there is no memory for ever, seeing that those who now are will have gone from memory in the days to come. See how death comes to the wise as to the foolish!

    17 So I was hating life, because everything under the sun was evil to me: all is to no purpose and desire for wind.

  • 16 When my thoughts were turned to see the reason of this, it was a weariness in my eyes;

  • Eccl 8:16-17
    2 verses
    74%

    16 When I gave my mind to the knowledge of wisdom and to seeing the business which is done on the earth (and there are those whose eyes see not sleep by day or by night),

    17 Then I saw all the work of God, and that man may not get knowledge of the work which is done under the sun; because, if a man gives hard work to the search he will not get knowledge, and even if the wise man seems to be coming to the end of his search, still he will be without knowledge.

  • Prov 24:4-5
    2 verses
    74%

    4 And by knowledge its rooms are full of all dear and pleasing things.

    5 A wise man is strong; and a man of knowledge makes strength greater.

  • 15 The heart of the man of good sense gets knowledge; the ear of the wise is searching for knowledge.

  • 13 Happy is the man who makes discovery of wisdom, and he who gets knowledge.

  • 18 Wisdom is better than instruments of war, but one sinner is the destruction of much good.

  • 10 For wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasing to your soul;

  • 2 To have knowledge of wise teaching; to be clear about the words of reason:

  • 18 Foolish behaviour is the heritage of the simple, but men of good sense are crowned with knowledge.

  • 10 The fear of the Lord is the start of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One gives a wise mind

  • 3 By his foolish behaviour a man's ways are turned upside down, and his heart is bitter against the Lord.

  • Eccl 7:11-12
    2 verses
    73%

    11 Wisdom together with a heritage is good, and a profit to those who see the sun.

    12 Wisdom keeps a man from danger even as money does; but the value of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to its owner.

  • 13 Even while laughing the heart may be sad; and after joy comes sorrow.

  • 8 What have the wise more than the foolish? and what has the poor man by walking wisely before the living?

  • 22 Wisdom is a fountain of life to him who has it; but the punishment of the foolish is their foolish behaviour.

  • 13 This again I have seen under the sun as wisdom and it seemed great to me.

  • 9 And I became great; increasing more than all who had been before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom was still with me.

  • 23 All this I have put to the test by wisdom; I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me.

  • 7 The first sign of wisdom is to get wisdom; go, give all you have to get true knowledge.

  • 21 Foolish behaviour is joy to the unwise; but a man of good sense makes his way straight.

  • 11 There are words without number for increasing what is to no purpose, but what is man profited by them?

  • 12 But where may wisdom be seen? and where is the resting-place of knowledge?

  • 2 All is to no purpose, said the Preacher, all the ways of man are to no purpose.

  • 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; out of his mouth come knowledge and reason:

  • 6 The hater of authority, searching for wisdom, does not get it; but knowledge comes readily to the open-minded man.