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.

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 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.

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 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.

At the beginning his words are foolish and at the end his talk is wicked madness,

So I reflected on all this, attempting to clear it all up. I concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their works, are in the hand of God; whether a person will be loved or hated– no one knows what lies ahead.Everyone shares the same fate– the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the ceremonially clean and unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. What happens to the good person, also happens to the sinner; what happens to those who make vows, also happens to those who are afraid to make vows.This is the unfortunate fact about everything that happens on earth: the same fate awaits everyone. In addition to this, the hearts of all people are full of evil, and there is folly in their hearts during their lives– then they die.

The Teacher says: I discovered this while trying to discover the scheme of things, item by item.

And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their condemnation pronounced long ago is not sitting idly by; their destruction is not asleep.For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but threw them into hell and locked them up in chains in utter darkness, to be kept until the judgment,and if he did not spare the ancient world, but did protect Noah, a herald of righteousness, along with seven others, when God brought a flood on an ungodly world,and if he turned to ashes the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah when he condemned them to destruction, having appointed them to serve as an example to future generations of the ungodly,and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man in anguish over the debauched lifestyle of lawless men,( for while he lived among them day after day, that righteous man was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)– if so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from their trials, and to reserve the unrighteous for punishment at the day of judgment,

So I began to despair about all the fruit of my labor for which I worked so hard on earth.

Next, I decided to consider wisdom, as well as foolish behavior and ideas. For what more can the king’s successor do than what the king has already done?

I decided to carefully and thoroughly examine all that has been accomplished on earth. I concluded: God has given people a burdensome task that keeps them occupied.I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man on earth, and I concluded: Everything he has accomplished is futile– like chasing the wind!What is bent cannot be straightened, and what is missing cannot be supplied.I thought to myself,“ I have become much wiser than any of my predecessors who ruled over Jerusalem; I have acquired much wisdom and knowledge.”So I decided to discern the benefit of wisdom and knowledge over foolish behavior and ideas; however, I concluded that even this endeavor is like trying to chase the wind!

I thought to myself,“ Come now, I will try self-indulgent pleasure to see if it is worthwhile.” But I found that it also is futile.I said of partying,“ It is folly,” and of self-indulgent pleasure,“ It accomplishes nothing!”I thought deeply about the effects of indulging myself with wine( all the while my mind was guiding me with wisdom) and the effects of behaving foolishly, so that I might discover what is profitable for people to do on earth during the few days of their lives.

LORD, you have always been fair whenever I have complained to you. However, I would like to speak with you about the disposition of justice. Why are wicked people successful? Why do all dishonest people have such easy lives?You plant them like trees and they put down their roots. They grow prosperous and are very fruitful. They always talk about you, but they really care nothing about you.

Get up! Ritually consecrate the people and tell them this:‘ Ritually consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, because the LORD God of Israel says,“ You are contaminated, O Israel! You will not be able to stand before your enemies until you remove what is contaminating you.”

It is better for a person to meet a mother bear being robbed of her cubs, than to encounter a fool in his folly.

I saw something else on earth: In the place of justice, there was wickedness, and in the place of fairness, there was wickedness.I thought to myself,“ God will judge both the righteous and the wicked; for there is an appropriate time for every activity, and there is a time of judgment for every deed.

Now Jacob’s sons had come in from the field when they heard the news. They were offended and very angry because Shechem had disgraced Israel by sexually assaulting Jacob’s daughter, a crime that should not be committed.

But she said to him,“ No, my brother! Don’t humiliate me! This just isn’t done in Israel! Don’t do this foolish thing!

Like a dog that returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

Above all, understand this: In the last days blatant scoffers will come, being propelled by their own evil urgesand saying,“ Where is his promised return? For ever since our ancestors died, all things have continued as they were from the beginning of creation.”For they deliberately suppress this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water.Through these things the world existing at that time was destroyed when it was deluged with water.But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, by being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.Now, dear friends, do not let this one thing escape your notice, that a single day is like a thousand years with the Lord and a thousand years are like a single day.The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

So I thought to myself,“ The fate of the fool will happen even to me! Then what did I gain by becoming so excessively wise?” So I lamented to myself,“ The benefits of wisdom are ultimately meaningless!”