KJV King James Version
I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason [of things], and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness [and] madness:
VERSE STUDY • KJV
Ecclesiastes 7:25
I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason [of things], and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness [and] madness:
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
I directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness.
WEB World English Bible
I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.
ASV American Standard Version
I turned about, and my heart was set to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the reason of things, and to know that wickedness is folly, and that foolishness is madness.
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
I have turned round, also my heart, to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and reason, and to know the wrong of folly, and of foolishness the madness.
Surrounding context — Ecclesiastes 7
22 For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
23 All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it [was] far from me.
24 That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?
25 I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason [of things], and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness [and] madness:
26 And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart [is] snares and nets, [and] her hands [as] bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.
27 Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, [counting] one by one, to find out the account:
28 Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
סַבּ֨וֹתִֽיH5437 · sa.vavto turn: turnאֲנִ֤יH589 · a.niIוְלִבִּי֙H3820 · levheartלָדַ֣עַתH3045 · ya.dato knowוְלָת֔וּרH8446 · turto spyוּבַקֵּ֥שׁH1245 · ba.qashto seekחָכְמָ֖הH2451 · chokh.mahwisdomוְחֶשְׁבּ֑וֹןH2808 · chesh.bonexplanationוְלָדַ֙עַת֙H3045 · ya.dato knowרֶ֣שַׁעH7562 · re.sahwickednessכֶּ֔סֶלH3689 · ke.selloinוְהַסִּכְל֖וּתH5531 · sikh.lutfollyהוֹלֵלֽוֹת׃H1947 · ho.le.lahmadness
Cross-references
Ecclesiastes 10:13The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] foolishness: and the end of his talk [is] mischievous madness.Joshua 7:13Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, [There is] an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.Genesis 34:7And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard [it]: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter; which thing ought not to be done.2 Peter 2:3-9And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.2 Peter 3:3-9Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,Ecclesiastes 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.Proverbs 17:12Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.Proverbs 26:11As a dog returneth to his vomit, [so] a fool returneth to his folly.2 Samuel 13:12And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly.Ecclesiastes 9:1-3For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, [are] in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred [by] all [that is] before them.Ecclesiastes 2:20Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.Ecclesiastes 2:1-3I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also [is] vanity.Ecclesiastes 3:16-17And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, [that] wickedness [was] there; and the place of righteousness, [that] iniquity [was] there.Ecclesiastes 7:27Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, [counting] one by one, to find out the account:Jeremiah 12:1-2Righteous [art] thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of [thy] judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? [wherefore] are all they happy that deal very treacherously?Ecclesiastes 1:13-17And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all [things] that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.Ecclesiastes 2:15Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also [is] vanity.
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