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.


In Context

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!

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

16 I — 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.

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

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

Ecclesiastes 1:16 in Other Translations

The King James Version of the Holy Bible

1:16I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all [they] that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

The New International Version of the Holy Bible

1:16I thought to myself, "Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge."

The Douay-Rheims Version of the Holy Bible

1:16I have spoken in my heart, saying: Behold I am become great, and have gone beyond all in wisdom, that were before me in Jerusalem: and my mind hath contemplated many things wisely, and I have learned.

The American Standard Version of the Holy Bible

1:16I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

The Darby Bible Translation of the Holy Bible

1:16I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much of wisdom and knowledge.

The English Revised Version of the Holy Bible

1:16I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

The Webster Bible Translation of the Holy Bible

1:16I communed with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have come to great estate, and have gained more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: and my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

The World English Bible Translation of the Holy Bible

1:16I 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.|

The American King James Version of the Holy Bible

1:16I communed with my own heart, saying, See, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yes, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.