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!


In Context

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

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!

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

14 The 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;

Ecclesiastes 2:12 in Other Translations

The King James Version of the Holy Bible

2:12And 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.

The New International Version of the Holy Bible

2:12Then 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?

The Douay-Rheims Version of the Holy Bible

2:12I passed further to behold wisdom, and errors and folly, (What is man, said I, that he can follow the King his maker?)

The American Standard Version of the Holy Bible

2:12And 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 done long ago.

The Darby Bible Translation of the Holy Bible

2:12And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly; for what shall the man do that cometh after the king? that which hath already been done.

The English Revised Version of the Holy Bible

2:12And 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.

The Webster Bible Translation of the Holy Bible

2:12And 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.

The World English Bible Translation of the Holy Bible

2:12I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly: for what can the king's successor do? Just that which has been done long ago.

The American King James Version of the Holy Bible

2:12And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that comes after the king? even that which has been already done.