Ecclesiastes 1:17

Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

And I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this `is' vexation of spirit;

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Eccl 2:3 : 3 I have sought in my heart to draw out with wine my appetite, (and my heart leading in wisdom), and to take hold on folly till that I see where `is' this -- the good to the sons of man of that which they do under the heavens, the number of the days of their lives.
  • Eccl 2:10-12 : 10 And all that mine eyes asked I kept not back from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labour, and this hath been my portion, from all my labour, 11 and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labour that I have laboured to do, and lo, the whole `is' vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun! 12 And I turned to see wisdom, and madness, and folly, but what `is' the man who cometh after the king? that which `is' already -- they have done it!
  • 1 Thess 5:21 : 21 all things prove; that which is good hold fast;
  • Eccl 1:13-14 : 13 And I have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that hath been done under the heavens. It `is' a sad travail God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it. 14 I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole `is' vanity and vexation of spirit!
  • Eccl 7:23-25 : 23 All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, `I am wise,' and it `is' far from me. 24 Far off `is' that which hath been, and deep, deep, who doth find it? 25 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.

Similar Verses (AI)

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

  • Eccl 7:23-25
    3 verses
    88%

    23All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, `I am wise,' and it `is' far from me.

    24Far off `is' that which hath been, and deep, deep, who doth find it?

    25I 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.

  • Eccl 1:12-16
    5 verses
    88%

    12I, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

    13And I have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that hath been done under the heavens. It `is' a sad travail God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.

    14I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole `is' vanity and vexation of spirit!

    15A crooked thing `one' is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.

    16I -- I spake with my heart, saying, `I, lo, I have magnified and added wisdom above every one who hath been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart hath seen abundantly wisdom and knowledge.

  • Eccl 1:18
    85%

    18for, in abundance of wisdom `is' abundance of sadness, and he who addeth knowledge addeth pain.'

  • Eccl 2:9-17
    9 verses
    84%

    9And I became great, and increased above every one who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood with me.

    10And all that mine eyes asked I kept not back from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labour, and this hath been my portion, from all my labour,

    11and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labour that I have laboured to do, and lo, the whole `is' vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun!

    12And I turned to see wisdom, and madness, and folly, but what `is' the man who cometh after the king? that which `is' already -- they have done it!

    13And I saw that there is an advantage to wisdom above folly, like the advantage of the light above the darkness.

    14The wise! -- his eyes `are' in his head, and the fool in darkness is walking, and I also knew that one event happeneth with them all;

    15and I said in my heart, `As it happeneth with the fool, it happeneth also with me, and why am I then more wise?' And I spake in my heart, that also this `is' vanity:

    16That there is no remembrance to the wise -- with the fool -- to the age, for that which `is' already, `in' the days that are coming is all forgotten, and how dieth the wise? with the fool!

    17And I have hated life, for sad to me `is' the work that hath been done under the sun, for the whole `is' vanity and vexation of spirit.

  • Eccl 2:1-4
    4 verses
    83%

    1I said in my heart, `Pray, come, I try thee with mirth, and look thou on gladness;' and lo, even it `is' vanity.

    2Of laughter I said, `Foolish!' and of mirth, `What `is' this it is doing?'

    3I have sought in my heart to draw out with wine my appetite, (and my heart leading in wisdom), and to take hold on folly till that I see where `is' this -- the good to the sons of man of that which they do under the heavens, the number of the days of their lives.

    4I made great my works, I builded for me houses, I planted for me vineyards.

  • Eccl 2:19-22
    4 verses
    82%

    19And who knoweth whether he is wise or foolish? yet he doth rule over all my labour that I have laboured at, and that I have done wisely under the sun! this also `is' vanity.

    20And I turned round to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour that I laboured at under the sun.

    21For there is a man whose labour `is' in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity, and to a man who hath not laboured therein he giveth it -- his portion! Even this `is' vanity and a great evil.

    22For what hath been to a man by all his labour, and by the thought of his heart that he laboured at under the sun?

  • Eccl 8:16-17
    2 verses
    80%

    16When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that hath been done on the earth, (for there is also a spectator in whose eyes sleep is not by day and by night),

    17then I considered all the work of God, that man is not able to find out the work that hath been done under the sun, because though man labour to seek, yet he doth not find; and even though the wise man speak of knowing he is not able to find.

  • Eccl 1:2-3
    2 verses
    78%

    2Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, Vanity of vanities: the whole `is' vanity.

    3What advantage `is' to man by all his labour that he laboureth at under the sun?

  • Eccl 2:25-26
    2 verses
    77%

    25For who eateth and who hasteth out more than I?

    26For to a man who `is' good before Him, He hath given wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; and to a sinner He hath given travail, to gather and to heap up, to give to the good before God. Even this `is' vanity and vexation of spirit.

  • Eccl 9:13
    77%

    13This also I have seen: wisdom under the sun, and it is great to me.

  • Eccl 4:4
    76%

    4And I have seen all the labour, and all the benefit of the work, because for it a man is the envy of his neighbour. Even this `is' vanity and vexation of spirit.

  • Eccl 6:8-9
    2 verses
    76%

    8For what advantage `is' to the wise above the fool? What to the poor who knoweth to walk before the living?

    9Better `is' the sight of the eyes than the going of the soul. This also `is' vanity and vexation of spirit.

  • Eccl 4:7
    76%

    7And I have turned, and I see a vain thing under the sun:

  • Eccl 12:8
    76%

    8Vanity of vanities, said the preacher, the whole `is' vanity.

  • Eccl 9:1
    76%

    1But all this I have laid unto my heart, so as to clear up the whole of this, that the righteous and the wise, and their works, `are' in the hand of God, neither love nor hatred doth man know, the whole `is' before them.

  • Eccl 7:4
    75%

    4The heart of the wise `is' in a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.

  • Eccl 3:18
    75%

    18I said in my heart concerning the matter of the sons of man that God might cleanse them, so as to see that they themselves `are' beasts.

  • Ps 73:16
    75%

    16And I think to know this, Perverseness it `is' in mine eyes,

  • Prov 1:2
    75%

    2For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,

  • Prov 19:3
    75%

    3The folly of man perverteth his way, And against Jehovah is his heart wroth.

  • Prov 18:2
    74%

    2A fool delighteth not in understanding, But -- in uncovering his heart.

  • Eccl 3:12
    74%

    12I have known that there is no good for them except to rejoice and to do good during their life,

  • Eccl 8:9
    73%

    9All this I have seen so as to give my heart to every work that hath been done under the sun; a time that man hath ruled over man to his own evil.

  • Eccl 3:10
    73%

    10I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.

  • Eccl 9:3
    73%

    3This `is' an evil among all that hath been done under the sun, that one event `is' to all, and also the heart of the sons of man is full of evil, and madness `is' in their heart during their life, and after it -- unto the dead.

  • Eccl 6:11
    73%

    11For there are many things multiplying vanity; what advantage `is' to man?