Ecclesiastes 7:25

World English Bible (2000)

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.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Eccl 10:13 : 13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
  • Jer 12:1-2 : 1 You are righteous, Yahweh, when I contend with you; yet I would reason the cause with you: why does the way of the wicked prosper? why are all they at ease who deal very treacherously? 2 You have planted them, yes, they have taken root; they grow, yes, they bring forth fruit: you are near in their mouth, and far from their heart.
  • 2 Pet 2:3-9 : 3 In covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: whose sentence now from of old doesn't linger, and their destruction will not slumber. 4 For if God didn't spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5 and didn't spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood on the world of the ungodly; 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly; 7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man dwelling among them, was tormented in his righteous soul from day to day with seeing and hearing lawless deeds): 9 the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment;
  • 2 Pet 3:3-9 : 3 knowing this first, that in the last days mockers will come, walking after their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of his coming? For, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." 5 For this they willfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth formed out of water and amid water, by the word of God; 6 by which means the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished. 7 But the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 8 But don't forget this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
  • Gen 34:7 : 7 The sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it. The men were grieved, and they were very angry, because he had done folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter; a which thing ought not to be done.
  • Josh 7:13 : 13 "Get up! Sanctify the people, and say, 'Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, for Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, "There is a devoted thing in the midst of you, Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted thing from among you."
  • 2 Sam 13:12 : 12 She answered him, "No, my brother, do not force me! For no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Don't you do this folly.
  • Prov 17:12 : 12 Let a bear robbed of her cubs meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.
  • Prov 26:11 : 11 As a dog that returns to his vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly.
  • Eccl 1:13-17 : 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 2:1-3 : 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.
  • Eccl 2:12 : 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.
  • Eccl 2:15 : 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.
  • Eccl 2:20 : 20 Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun.
  • Eccl 3:16-17 : 16 Moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there. 17 I said in my heart, "God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work."
  • Eccl 7:27 : 27 "Behold, I have found this," says the Preacher, "one to another, to find out the scheme;
  • Eccl 9:1-3 : 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. 2 All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn't sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears an oath. 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.

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%

    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.

    18 For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

  • Eccl 2:1-3
    3 verses
    83%

    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.

  • Eccl 7:23-24
    2 verses
    80%

    23 All this have I proved in wisdom. I said, "I will be wise;" but it was far from me.

    24 That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?

  • Eccl 8:16-17
    2 verses
    79%

    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.

  • Eccl 2:10-15
    6 verses
    79%

    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.

    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.

    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.

  • Eccl 2:19-20
    2 verses
    78%

    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.

  • Eccl 7:4
    77%

    4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

  • Prov 8:12
    77%

    12 "I, wisdom, have made prudence my dwelling. Find out knowledge and discretion.

  • Prov 7:7
    76%

    7 I saw among the simple ones. I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding,

  • Eccl 7:26-27
    2 verses
    76%

    26 I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.

    27 "Behold, I have found this," says the Preacher, "one to another, to find out the scheme;

  • Prov 19:3
    75%

    3 The foolishness of man subverts his way; his heart rages against Yahweh.

  • Prov 18:1-2
    2 verses
    75%

    1 An unfriendly man pursues selfishness, and defies all sound judgment.

    2 A fool has no delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own opinion.

  • Prov 15:14
    75%

    14 The heart of one who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.

  • Ps 73:16
    74%

    16 When I tried to understand this, it was too painful for me;

  • Prov 17:16
    74%

    16 Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, since he has no understanding?

  • Prov 14:8
    74%

    8 The wisdom of the prudent is to think about his way, but the folly of fools is deceit.

  • Prov 8:5
    74%

    5 You simple, understand prudence. You fools, be of an understanding heart.

  • Eccl 9:1
    74%

    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.

  • Prov 1:2
    74%

    2 to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;

  • Prov 18:15
    73%

    15 The heart of the discerning gets knowledge. The ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

  • Prov 1:6
    73%

    6 to understand a proverb, and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.

  • Prov 14:33
    73%

    33 Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding, and is even made known in the inward part of fools.

  • Job 28:12
    73%

    12 "But where shall wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?

  • Eccl 9:13
    73%

    13 I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to me.

  • Prov 17:24
    73%

    24 Wisdom is before the face of one who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

  • Job 42:3
    72%

    3 You asked, 'Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?' therefore I have uttered that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I didn't know.

  • Prov 8:14
    72%

    14 Counsel and sound knowledge are mine. I have understanding and power.

  • Prov 2:10
    72%

    10 For wisdom will enter into your heart. Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

  • Prov 15:7
    72%

    7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so with the heart of fools.

  • Eccl 7:7
    72%

    7 Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.

  • Eccl 2:25
    72%

    25 For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?

  • Prov 16:22
    72%

    22 Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it, but the punishment of fools is their folly.

  • Prov 2:2
    72%

    2 So as to turn your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;