Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 NKJV


Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised.

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.

What is crooked cannot be made straight, And what is lacking cannot be numbered.

I command with my heart, saying, "Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has understood great wisdom and knowledge."

And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind.

For in much wisdom is much grief, And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

Ecclesiastes 7:13-26 Consider the work of God; For who can make straight what He has made crooked?

In the day of prosperity be joyful, But in the day of adversity consider; Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, So that man can find out nothing that will come after him.

I have seen everything in my days of vanity; There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness, And there is a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness.

Do not be overly righteous, Nor be overly wise; Why should you destroy yourself?

Do not be overly wicked, Nor be foolish; Why should you die before your time?

It is good that you grasp this, And also not remove your hand from the other; For he who fears God will escape them all.

Wisdom strengthens the wise More than ten rulers of the city.

For there is not a just man on earth who does good And does not sin.

Also do not take to heart everything people say, Lest you hear your servant cursing you.

For many times, also, your own heart has known That even you have cursed others.

All this I have proved by wisdom. I said, "I will be wise"; But it was far from me.

As for that which is far off and exceedingly deep, Who can find it out?

I applied my heart to know, To search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things, To know the wickedness of folly, Even of foolishness and madness.

And I find more bitter than death The woman whose heart is snares and nets, Whose hands are fetters.He who pleases God shall escape from her, But the sinner shall be trapped by her.

Ecclesiastes 8:10-13 Then I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of holiness, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done. This also is vanity.

Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him.

But it will not be well with the wicked; nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God.

Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on earth, even though one sees no sleep day or night,

then I saw all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. For though a man labors to discover it, yet he will not find it; moreover, though a wise man attempts to know it, he will not be able to find it.