Ecclesiastes 2:12 Parallel Translations

Then I turned my attention to experience wisdom, madness, and foolishness. For instance, what can the man who replaces the king do? Only what has already been done.(GOD'S WORD®)

KJV:

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.

ASV:

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 done long ago.

BBE:

And I went again in search of wisdom and of foolish ways. What may the man do who comes after the king? The thing which he has done before.

DBY:

And 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.

ERV:

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.

JPS:

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.

WBS:

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.

WEB:

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

YLT:

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!

Ecclesiastes 2:12 Cross References

XREF:

Ecclesiastes 1:9 That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:10 Is there anything of which one might say, "See this, it is new "? Already it has existed for ages Which were before us.

Ecclesiastes 1:17 And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind.

Ecclesiastes 3:15 That which is has been already and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by. (NASB ©1995)

Commentaries and Concordances

GSB:

2:12 And I turned myself to behold {h} wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what [can] the man [do] that cometh after the king? [even] that which hath been already done.
(h) I thought to myself whether it was better to follow wisdom, or my own affections and pleasures, which he calls madness.

WES:

2:12 I turned - Being frustrated of my hopes in pleasure, I returned to a second consideration of my first choice, to see whether there was not more satisfaction to be gotten from wisdom, than I discovered at my first view. Done - As by others, so especially by myself. They can make no new discoveries as to this point. They can make no more of the pleasures of sense than I have done. Let me then try once more, whether wisdom can give happiness.

MHC:

2:12-17 Solomon found that knowledge and prudence were preferable to ignorance and folly, though human wisdom and knowledge will not make a man happy. The most learned of men, who dies a stranger to Christ Jesus, will perish equally with the most ignorant; and what good can commendations on earth do to the body in the grave, or the soul in hell? And the spirits of just men made perfect cannot want them. So that if this were all, we might be led to hate our life, as it is all vanity and vexation of spirit.

CONC:

Ago Already Behold Consider Except Folly Foolish King's Madness Myself Search Successor Wisdom

Ago Already Consider Except Folly Foolish King's Madness Search Successor Thoughts Turned Ways Wisdom

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org.

GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Quotations are used by permission. Copyright 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved.

Online Parallel Bible