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Ecclesiastes 2:13–14

13 I saw that wisdomm is better than folly,n

just as light is better than darkness.

14 The wise have eyes in their heads,

while the fool walks in the darkness;

but I came to realize

that the same fate overtakes them both.o

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Ecclesiastes 2:13–14 — English Standard Version (ESV)

13 Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. 14 The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them.

Ecclesiastes 2:13–14 — King James Version (KJV 1900)

13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness. 14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

Ecclesiastes 2:13–14 — New Living Translation (NLT)

13 I thought, “Wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness. 14 For the wise can see where they are going, but fools walk in the dark.” Yet I saw that the wise and the foolish share the same fate.

Ecclesiastes 2:13–14 — The New King James Version (NKJV)

13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly

As light excels darkness.

14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head,

But the fool walks in darkness.

Yet I myself perceived

That the same event happens to them all.

Ecclesiastes 2:13–14 — New Century Version (NCV)

13 I saw that being wise is certainly better than being foolish,

just as light is better than darkness.

14 Wise people see where they are going,

but fools walk around in the dark.

Yet I saw that

both wise and foolish people end the same way.

Ecclesiastes 2:13–14 — American Standard Version (ASV)

13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness. 14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness: and yet I perceived that one event happeneth to them all.

Ecclesiastes 2:13–14 — 1890 Darby Bible (DARBY)

13 And I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as light excelleth darkness. 14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness; but I myself also perceived that one event happeneth to them all.

Ecclesiastes 2:13–14 — GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

13 But I saw that wisdom has an advantage over foolishness as light has an advantage over darkness. 14 A wise person uses the eyes in his head, but a fool walks in the dark. But I have also come to realize that the same destiny waits for both of them. 

Ecclesiastes 2:13–14 — The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

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

14 The wise man has eyes in his head,

but the fool walks in darkness.

Yet I also knew that one fate comes to them both.

Ecclesiastes 2:13–14 — The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.

14 The wise have eyes in their head,

but fools walk in darkness.

Yet I perceived that the same fate befalls all of them.

Ecclesiastes 2:13–14 — The Lexham English Bible (LEB)

13 I realized that wisdom has an advantage over folly, just as light has an advantage over darkness. 14 The wise man can see where he is walking, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also realized that both of them suffer the same fate.

Ecclesiastes 2:13–14 — New International Reader’s Version (1998) (NIrV)

13 I saw that wisdom is better than foolishness,

just as light is better than darkness.

14 The eyes of a wise man see things clearly.

A person who is foolish lives in darkness.

But I finally realized that death catches up

with both of them.

Ecclesiastes 2:13–14 — New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (NASB95)

13 And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.

14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one fate befalls them both.


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