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

¹² 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

¹² 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

¹² 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)

¹² 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

¹² 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

¹² 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

¹² 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: