Ecclesiastes 2:12-15
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 2
12So I turned to consider wisdom, insanity, and foolishness; for what will the man do who will come after the king, except what has already been done? 13Then I saw that wisdom surpasses foolishness as light surpasses darkness. 14The wise person’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one and the same fate happens to both of them. 15Then I said to myself, 'As is the fate of the fool, it will also happen to me. Why then have I been extremely wise?' So I said to myself, 'This too is futility.'King James Version
Chapter 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. 13Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness. 14The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all. 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.Christian Standard Bible
New Living Translation
Chapter 2
12So I decided to compare wisdom with foolishness and madness (for who can do this better than I, the king? ). 13I thought, 'Wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness. 14For the wise can see where they are going, but fools walk in the dark.' Yet I saw that the wise and the foolish share the same fate. 15Both will die. So I said to myself, 'Since I will end up the same as the fool, what’s the value of all my wisdom? This is all so meaningless!'English Standard Version
Chapter 2
12So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. 13Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. 14The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. 15Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity.New International Version
Chapter 2
12Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. What more can the king's successor do than what has already been done? 13I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness. 14The wise have eyes in their heads, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both.New King James Version