I turned my thoughts to know, explore, and examine wisdom and an explanation for things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity and folly is madness.

我转念，一心要知道，要考察，要寻求智慧和万事的理由；又要知道邪恶为愚昧，愚昧为狂妄。

我转念，一心要知道，要考察，要寻求智慧和万事的来由，要知道邪恶为愚昧，愚昧为狂妄。

我转念，一心要知道，要考察，要寻求智慧和万事的来由，要知道邪恶为愚昧，愚昧为狂妄。

我用心去认识、探究、追寻智慧和事物的原委，并去认识邪恶带来的愚昧和无知带来的狂妄。

我转念，一心去了解、考察并寻觅智慧和事理，又要知道愚蒙是邪恶的，狂妄是愚昧的。

我转去用心了解、探察、寻求智慧和事理，为要明白邪恶是愚昧的、愚昧是狂妄的。

我轉念，一心要知道，要考察，要尋求智慧和萬事的理由；又要知道邪惡為愚昧，愚昧為狂妄。

我轉念，一心要知道，要考察，要尋求智慧和萬事的來由，要知道邪惡為愚昧，愚昧為狂妄。

我轉念，一心要知道，要考察，要尋求智慧和萬事的來由，要知道邪惡為愚昧，愚昧為狂妄。

我用心去認識、探究、追尋智慧和事物的原委，並去認識邪惡帶來的愚昧和無知帶來的狂妄。

我轉念，一心去了解、考察並尋覓智慧和事理，又要知道愚蒙是邪惡的，狂妄是愚昧的。

我心裏轉來轉去要知道、要窺探、要尋求智慧和萬事的總和，要知道邪惡是愚頑，愚昧是狂妄。

我轉去用心了解、探察、尋求智慧和事理，為要明白邪惡是愚昧的、愚昧是狂妄的。

我轉而決志究察智慧、與萬事之原由、欲知惡之為愚、愚之為妄、

我盡心求道、欲知事理之所以、亦欲知愚昧之不善、

我轉而思之、專心欲得知識、欲究萬事、欲求智慧明哲、且欲知何為惡、何為愚、何為拙、何為狂、且欲知何為惡何為愚何為拙何為狂或作且欲知惡之為愚拙之為狂

So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly.

So I tried to understand wisdom more completely. I wanted to study it and figure it out. I tried to find out everything I could about it. I tried to understand why it’s foolish to be evil. I wanted to see why choosing foolishness is so unwise.

I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness.

I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things. I was determined to prove to myself that wickedness is stupid and that foolishness is madness.

I directed my mind to know and to investigate, and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the evil of foolishness and the foolishness of insanity.

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.

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.

I turned my thoughts to know, explore, and seek wisdom and an explanation for things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity and folly is madness.

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:

I tried to understand, examine, and comprehend the role of wisdom in the scheme of things, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the insanity of folly.

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.

The beginning of the words from his mouth is folly, but the end of his speaking is evil madness;

Indeed, I took all this to heart and explained it all: The righteous, the wise, and their works are in God’s hands. People don’t know whether to expect love or hate. Everything lies ahead of them.Everything is the same for everyone: There is one fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the bad, for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not sacrifice. As it is for the good, so also it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who takes an oath, so also for the one who fears an oath.This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: there is one fate for everyone. In addition, the hearts of people are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live; after that they go to the dead.

“ Look,” says the Teacher,“ I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find out the explanation,

They will exploit you in their greed with made-up stories. Their condemnation, pronounced long ago, is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep.For if God didn’t spare the angels who sinned but cast them into hell and delivered them in chains of utter darkness to be kept for judgment;and if he didn’t spare the ancient world, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others, when he brought the flood on the world of the ungodly;and if he reduced the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes and condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is coming to the ungodly;and if he rescued righteous Lot, distressed by the depraved behavior of the immoral( for as that righteous man lived among them day by day, his righteous soul was tormented by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,

So I began to give myself over to despair concerning all my work that I had labored at under the sun.

Then I turned to consider wisdom, madness, and folly, for what will the king’s successor be like? He will do what has already been done.

I applied my mind to examine and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven. God has given people this miserable task to keep them occupied.I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.I said to myself,“ See, I have amassed wisdom far beyond all those who were over Jerusalem before me, and my mind has thoroughly grasped wisdom and knowledge.”I applied my mind to know wisdom and knowledge, madness and folly; I learned that this too is a pursuit of the wind.

I said to myself,“ Go ahead, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good.” But it turned out to be futile.I said about laughter,“ It is madness,” and about pleasure,“ What does this accomplish?”I explored with my mind the pull of wine on my body— my mind still guiding me with wisdom— and how to grasp folly, until I could see what is good for people to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

You will be righteous, LORD, even if I bring a case against you. Yet, I wish to contend with you: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the treacherous live at ease?You planted them, and they have taken root. They have grown and produced fruit. You are ever on their lips, but far from their conscience.

“ Go and consecrate the people. Tell them to consecrate themselves for tomorrow, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: There are things that are set apart among you, Israel. You will not be able to stand against your enemies until you remove what is set apart.

Better for a person to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his foolishness.

I also observed under the sun: there is wickedness at the place of judgment and there is wickedness at the place of righteousness.I said to myself,“ God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every work.”

Jacob’s sons returned from the field when they heard about the incident. They were deeply grieved and very angry, for Shechem had committed an outrage against Israel by raping Jacob’s daughter, and such a thing should not be done.

“ Don’t, my brother!” she cried.“ Don’t disgrace me, for such a thing should never be done in Israel. Don’t commit this outrage!

As a dog returns to its vomit, so also a fool repeats his foolishness.

Above all, be aware of this: Scoffers will come in the last days scoffing and following their own evil desires,saying,“ Where is his‘ coming’ that he promised? Ever since our ancestors fell asleep, all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation.”They deliberately overlook this: By the word of God the heavens came into being long ago and the earth was brought about from water and through water.Through these the world of that time perished when it was flooded.By the same word, the present heavens and earth are stored up for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.Dear friends, don’t overlook this one fact: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.

So I said to myself,“ What happens to the fool will also happen to me. Why then have I been overly wise?” And I said to myself that this is also futile.