Ecclesiastes 2:12
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.
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Referenced Verses
- Eccl 1:17 : 17 I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.
- Eccl 7:25 : 25 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.
- Eccl 1:9-9 : 9 That which has been is that which shall be; and that which has been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10 Is there a thing of which it may be said, "Behold, this is new?" It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us.
Similar Verses (AI)
These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.
- Eccl 2:9-113 verses84%
9 So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
10 Whatever my eyes desired, I didn't keep from them. I didn't withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor.
11 Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and behold, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
- Eccl 2:13-2210 verses82%
13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.
14 The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness--and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.
15 Then I said in my heart, "As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?" Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.
16 For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory for ever, since in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool!
17 So I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
18 I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
19 Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
20 Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun.
21 For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 For what has a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart, in which he labors under the sun?
- Eccl 1:9-179 verses81%
9 That which has been is that which shall be; and that which has been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 Is there a thing of which it may be said, "Behold, this is new?" It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us.
11 There is no memory of the former; neither shall there be any memory of the latter that are to come, among those that shall come after.
12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
15 That which is crooked can't be made straight; and that which is lacking can't be counted.
16 I said to myself, "Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge."
17 I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.
- Eccl 2:1-44 verses79%
1 I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with mirth: therefore enjoy pleasure;" and behold, this also was vanity.
2 I said of laughter, "It is foolishness;" and of mirth, "What does it accomplish?"
3 I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives.
4 I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.
- 77%
25 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.
- 77%
7 Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.
- 77%
15 That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago: and God seeks again that which is passed away.
- Eccl 6:11-122 verses77%
11 For there are many words that create vanity. What does that profit man?
12 For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spends like a shadow? For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?
- 77%
22 Therefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion: for who can bring him to see what will be after him?
- Eccl 4:15-162 verses77%
15 I saw all the living who walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the other, who succeeded him.
16 There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was--yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
- Eccl 1:2-32 verses76%
2 "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher; "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity."
3 What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?
- Eccl 8:16-172 verses76%
16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on the earth (for also there is that neither day nor night sees sleep with his eyes),
17 then I saw all the work of God, that man can't find out the work that is done under the sun, because however much a man labors to seek it out, yet he won't find it. Yes even though a wise man thinks he can comprehend it, he won't be able to find it.
- 76%
13 I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to me.
- 76%
25 For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?
- 76%
8 "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher. "All is vanity!"
- Eccl 6:8-92 verses76%
8 For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?
9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
- Eccl 8:9-102 verses75%
9 All this have I seen, and applied my mind to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man has power over another to his hurt.
10 So I saw the wicked buried. Indeed they came also from holiness. They went and were forgotten in the city where they did this. This also is vanity.
- Eccl 4:3-42 verses75%
3 Yes, better than them both is him who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
4 Then I saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man's neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
- 73%
1 For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn't know it; all is before them.
- 73%
3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
- 73%
14 There is a vanity which is done on the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked. Again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.