Ecclesiastes 2:12 - King James Version with Apocrypha - American Edition

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.

More versions

King James Version (Oxford) 1769

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.

Amplified Bible - Classic Edition

So I turned to consider [human] wisdom and madness and folly; for what can the man do who succeeds the king? Nothing but what has been done already.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Common English Bible

My reflections then turned to wisdom, madness, and folly. What can the king’s heir do but what has already been done?

Catholic Public Domain Version

I continued on, so as to contemplate wisdom, as well as error and foolishness. "What is man," I said, "that he would be able to follow his Maker, the King?"

Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version

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

Ecclesiastes 2:12 Cross References

Ecclesiastes 1:17

And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

Ecclesiastes 3:15

That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

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: