Ecclesiastes 2:12
The NET BibleOther versions
English
- NET The NET Bible
- DARBY 1890 Darby Bible
- ASV American Standard Version
- AV 1873 The Cambridge Paragraph Bible of the Authorized English Version
- CSB Christian Standard Bible
- D-R Douay-Rheims Bible
- ESV English Standard Version
- GW GOD’S WORD Translation
- GNB Good News Translation
- HCSB The Holman Christian Standard Bible
- KJV 1900 King James Version
- LSB Legacy Standard Bible
- LEB The Lexham English Bible
- MSG The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language
- NASB95 New American Standard Bible (1995)
- NCV New Century Version
- NIrV New International Reader’s Version (1998)
- NIV New International Version (2011)
- NKJV The New King James Version
- NLT New Living Translation
- NRSVue New Revised Standard Version: Updated Edition
- RSV The Revised Standard Version
- RSVCE The Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition
- TNIV Today’s New International Version
- YLT Young’s Literal Translation
Arabic
Czech
French
German
Hebrew
Hungarian
Italian
Korean
Latin
Portuguese
Russian
Simplified Chinese
Spanish
Traditional Chinese
Wisdom is Better than Folly
2:12Next, I decided to consider55 wisdom, as well as foolish behavior and ideas.56
For what more can the king’s successor do than what the king57 has already done?
Footnotes
- 55 Heb “and I turned to see.”
- 56 See 1:17 for the same expression. Throughout 2:1–11, Qoheleth evaluated the merits of merrymaking (2:1–3), accomplishing grand things (2:4–6), amassing great wealth (2:7–8), and secular acquisitions and accomplishments (2:9–10). Now, he reflects on the benefit in life in living wisely and not giving oneself over to frivolous self-indulgence.
- 57 The Hebrew text reads עָשׂוּהוּ (’asuhu, “they have done it”; Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural from עָשַׂה [’asah] + 3rd person masculine singular suffix). However, many medieval Hebrew read עָשָׂהוּ (’asahu, “he has done”; Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular from עָשַׂה), reflected in the and . The error was caused by dittography (ו, vav, written twice) or by orthographic confusion between ו and ה (hey) in הוו (confused as והוו) at the end of 2:12 and beginning of 2:13. The 3rd person masculine singular referent of עָשׂוּהוּ “what he has done” is the king, that is, Qoheleth himself. The referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press
In other versions
ESVEnglish Standard Version
So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done.
Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles
NIVNew International Version (2011)
Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom,
and also madness and folly.
What more can the king’s successor do
than what has already been done?
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.
CSBChristian Standard Bible
Then I turned to consider wisdom, madness, and folly, for what will the king’s successor be like? He will do what has already been done.
Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
NLTNew Living Translation
So I decided to compare wisdom with foolishness and madness (for who can do this better than I, the king?).
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
LEBThe Lexham English Bible
Next, I considered wisdom, as well as delusion and folly. What can anyone do who will come after the king that has not already been done?
Copyright 2012 Lexham Press
KJV 1900King James Version
And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.
Public Domain