Ecclesiastes 7:25

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

True Righteousness and Wisdom Are Virtually Nonexistent I tried to understand, examine, and comprehend the role of wisdom in the scheme of things, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the insanity of folly.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Eccl 10:13 : 13 At the beginning his words are foolish and at the end his talk is wicked madness,
  • Jer 12:1-2 : 1 LORD, you have always been fair whenever I have complained to you. However, I would like to speak with you about the disposition of justice. Why are wicked people successful? Why do all dishonest people have such easy lives? 2 You plant them like trees and they put down their roots. They grow prosperous and are very fruitful. They always talk about you, but they really care nothing about you.
  • 2 Pet 2:3-9 : 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their condemnation pronounced long ago is not sitting idly by; their destruction is not asleep. 4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but threw them into hell and locked them up in chains in utter darkness, to be kept until the judgment, 5 and if he did not spare the ancient world, but did protect Noah, a herald of righteousness, along with seven others, when God brought a flood on an ungodly world, 6 and if he turned to ashes the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah when he condemned them to destruction, having appointed them to serve as an example to future generations of the ungodly, 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man in anguish over the debauched lifestyle of lawless men, 8 (for while he lived among them day after day, that righteous man was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard) 9 – if so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from their trials, and to reserve the unrighteous for punishment at the day of judgment,
  • 2 Pet 3:3-9 : 3 Above all, understand this: In the last days blatant scoffers will come, being propelled by their own evil urges 4 and saying,“Where is his promised return? For ever since our ancestors died, all things have continued as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately suppress this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water. 6 Through these things the world existing at that time was destroyed when it was deluged with water. 7 But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, by being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 8 Now, dear friends, do not let this one thing escape your notice, that a single day is like a thousand years with the Lord and a thousand years are like a single day. 9 The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
  • Gen 34:7 : 7 Now Jacob’s sons had come in from the field when they heard the news. They were offended and very angry because Shechem had disgraced Israel by sexually assaulting Jacob’s daughter, a crime that should not be committed.
  • Josh 7:13 : 13 Get up! Ritually consecrate the people and tell them this:‘Ritually consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, because this is what the LORD God of Israel has said,“You are contaminated, O Israel! You will not be able to stand before your enemies until you remove what is contaminating you.”
  • 2 Sam 13:12 : 12 But she said to him,“No, my brother! Don’t humiliate me! This just isn’t done in Israel! Don’t do this foolish thing!
  • Prov 17:12 : 12 It is better for a person to meet a mother bear being robbed of her cubs, than to encounter a fool in his folly.
  • Prov 26:11 : 11 Like a dog that returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.
  • Eccl 1:13-17 : 13 I decided to carefully and thoroughly examine all that has been accomplished on earth. I concluded: God has given people a burdensome task that keeps them occupied. 14 I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man on earth, and I concluded: Everything he has accomplished is futile– like chasing the wind! 15 What is bent cannot be straightened, and what is missing cannot be supplied. 16 Futility of Secular Wisdom I thought to myself,“I have become much wiser than any of my predecessors who ruled over Jerusalem; I have acquired much wisdom and knowledge.” 17 So I decided to discern the benefit of wisdom and knowledge over foolish behavior and ideas; however, I concluded that even this endeavor is like trying to chase the wind!
  • Eccl 2:1-3 : 1 Futility of Self-Indulgent Pleasure I thought to myself,“Come now, I will try self-indulgent pleasure to see if it is worthwhile.” But I found that it also is futile. 2 I said of partying,“It is folly,” and of self-indulgent pleasure,“It accomplishes nothing!” 3 I thought deeply about the effects of indulging myself with wine(all the while my mind was guiding me with wisdom) and the effects of behaving foolishly, so that I might discover what is profitable for people to do on earth during the few days of their lives.
  • Eccl 2:12 : 12 Wisdom is Better than Folly Next, I decided to consider wisdom, as well as foolish behavior and ideas. For what more can the king’s successor do than what the king has already done?
  • Eccl 2:15 : 15 So I thought to myself,“The fate of the fool will happen even to me! Then what did I gain by becoming so excessively wise?” So I lamented to myself,“The benefits of wisdom are ultimately meaningless!”
  • Eccl 2:20 : 20 So I began to despair about all the fruit of my labor for which I worked so hard on earth.
  • Eccl 3:16-17 : 16 The Problem of Injustice and Oppression I saw something else on earth: In the place of justice, there was wickedness, and in the place of fairness, there was wickedness. 17 I thought to myself,“God will judge both the righteous and the wicked; for there is an appropriate time for every activity, and there is a time of judgment for every deed.
  • Eccl 7:27 : 27 The Teacher says: I discovered this while trying to discover the scheme of things, item by item.
  • Eccl 9:1-3 : 1 Everyone Will Die So I reflected on all this, attempting to clear it all up. I concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their works, are in the hand of God; whether a person will be loved or hated– no one knows what lies ahead. 2 Everyone shares the same fate– the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the ceremonially clean and unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. What happens to the good person, also happens to the sinner; what happens to those who make vows, also happens to those who are afraid to make vows. 3 This is the unfortunate fact about everything that happens on earth: the same fate awaits everyone. In addition to this, the hearts of all people are full of evil, and there is folly in their hearts during their lives– then they die.

Similar Verses (AI)

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

  • Eccl 1:13-18
    6 verses
    88%

    13I decided to carefully and thoroughly examine all that has been accomplished on earth. I concluded: God has given people a burdensome task that keeps them occupied.

    14I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man on earth, and I concluded: Everything he has accomplished is futile– like chasing the wind!

    15What is bent cannot be straightened, and what is missing cannot be supplied.

    16Futility of Secular Wisdom I thought to myself,“I have become much wiser than any of my predecessors who ruled over Jerusalem; I have acquired much wisdom and knowledge.”

    17So I decided to discern the benefit of wisdom and knowledge over foolish behavior and ideas; however, I concluded that even this endeavor is like trying to chase the wind!

    18For with great wisdom comes great frustration; whoever increases his knowledge merely increases his heartache.

  • Eccl 2:1-3
    3 verses
    83%

    1Futility of Self-Indulgent Pleasure I thought to myself,“Come now, I will try self-indulgent pleasure to see if it is worthwhile.” But I found that it also is futile.

    2I said of partying,“It is folly,” and of self-indulgent pleasure,“It accomplishes nothing!”

    3I thought deeply about the effects of indulging myself with wine(all the while my mind was guiding me with wisdom) and the effects of behaving foolishly, so that I might discover what is profitable for people to do on earth during the few days of their lives.

  • Eccl 7:23-24
    2 verses
    80%

    23Human Wisdom is Limited I have examined all this by wisdom; I said,“I am determined to comprehend this”– but it was beyond my grasp.

    24Whatever has happened is beyond human understanding; it is far deeper than anyone can fathom.

  • Eccl 8:16-17
    2 verses
    79%

    16Limitations of Human Wisdom When I tried to gain wisdom and to observe the activity on earth– even though it prevents anyone from sleeping day or night–

    17then I discerned all that God has done: No one really comprehends what happens on earth. Despite all human efforts to discover it, no one can ever grasp it. Even if a wise person claimed that he understood, he would not really comprehend it.

  • Eccl 2:10-15
    6 verses
    79%

    10I did not restrain myself from getting whatever I wanted; I did not deny myself anything that would bring me pleasure. So all my accomplishments gave me joy; this was my reward for all my effort.

    11Yet when I reflected on everything I had accomplished and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it, I concluded:“All these achievements and possessions are ultimately profitless– like chasing the wind! There is nothing gained from them on earth.”

    12Wisdom is Better than Folly Next, I decided to consider wisdom, as well as foolish behavior and ideas. For what more can the king’s successor do than what the king has already done?

    13I realized that wisdom is preferable to folly, just as light is preferable to darkness:

    14The wise man can see where he is going, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also realized that the same fate happens to them both.

    15So I thought to myself,“The fate of the fool will happen even to me! Then what did I gain by becoming so excessively wise?” So I lamented to myself,“The benefits of wisdom are ultimately meaningless!”

  • Eccl 2:19-20
    2 verses
    78%

    19Who knows if he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will be master over all the fruit of my labor for which I worked so wisely on earth! This also is futile!

    20So I began to despair about all the fruit of my labor for which I worked so hard on earth.

  • Eccl 7:4
    77%

    4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of merrymaking.

  • Prov 8:12
    77%

    12“I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.

  • Prov 7:7
    76%

    7and I saw among the naive– I discerned among the youths– a young man who lacked sense.

  • Eccl 7:26-27
    2 verses
    76%

    26I discovered this: More bitter than death is the kind of woman who is like a hunter’s snare; her heart is like a hunter’s net and her hands are like prison chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is captured by her.

    27The Teacher says: I discovered this while trying to discover the scheme of things, item by item.

  • Prov 19:3
    75%

    3A person’s folly subverts his way, and his heart rages against the LORD.

  • Prov 18:1-2
    2 verses
    75%

    1One who has isolated himself seeks his own desires; he rejects all sound judgment.

    2A fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only in disclosing what is on his mind.

  • Prov 15:14
    75%

    14The discerning mind seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on folly.

  • Ps 73:16
    74%

    16When I tried to make sense of this, it was troubling to me.

  • Prov 17:16
    74%

    16What’s the point of a fool having money in hand to buy wisdom, when his head is empty?

  • Prov 14:8
    74%

    8The wisdom of the shrewd person is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deception.

  • Prov 8:5
    74%

    5You who are naive, discern wisdom! And you fools, understand discernment!

  • Eccl 9:1
    74%

    1Everyone Will Die So I reflected on all this, attempting to clear it all up. I concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their works, are in the hand of God; whether a person will be loved or hated– no one knows what lies ahead.

  • Prov 1:2
    74%

    2To learn wisdom and moral instruction, to discern wise counsel.

  • Prov 18:15
    73%

    15The discerning person acquires knowledge, and the wise person seeks knowledge.

  • Prov 1:6
    73%

    6To discern the meaning of a proverb and a parable, the sayings of the wise and their riddles.

  • Prov 14:33
    73%

    33Wisdom rests in the heart of the discerning; it is not known in the inner parts of fools.

  • Job 28:12
    73%

    12No Price Can Buy Wisdom“But wisdom– where can it be found? Where is the place of understanding?

  • Eccl 9:13
    73%

    13Most People Are Not Receptive to Wise Counsel This is what I also observed about wisdom on earth, and it is a great burden to me:

  • Prov 17:24
    73%

    24Wisdom is directly in front of the discerning person, but the eyes of a fool run to the ends of the earth.

  • Job 42:3
    72%

    3you asked,‘Who is this who darkens counsel without knowledge?’ But I have declared without understanding things too wonderful for me to know.

  • Prov 8:14
    72%

    14Counsel and sound wisdom belong to me; I possess understanding and might.

  • Prov 2:10
    72%

    10For wisdom will enter your heart, and moral knowledge will be attractive to you.

  • Prov 15:7
    72%

    7The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but not so the heart of fools.

  • Eccl 7:7
    72%

    7Human Wisdom Overturned by Adversity Surely oppression can turn a wise person into a fool; likewise, a bribe corrupts the heart.

  • Eccl 2:25
    72%

    25For no one can eat and drink or experience joy apart from him.

  • Prov 16:22
    72%

    22Insight is like a life-giving fountain to the one who possesses it, but folly leads to the discipline of fools.

  • Prov 2:2
    72%

    2by making your ear attentive to wisdom, and by turning your heart to understanding,