Catholic Public Domain Version
"The eyes of a wise man are in his head. A foolish man walks in darkness. Yet I learned that one would pass away like the other. "
— Ecclesiastes 2:14, Catholic Public Domain Version
“The 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.”
“The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness: and yet I perceived that one event happeneth to them all. ”
“The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness--and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.”
“The wise man can see where he is going, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also realized that the same fate happens to them both.”
“The eyes of a wise man are in his head: the fool walketh in darkness: and I learned that they were to die both alike.”
“The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the foolish man goes walking in the dark; but still I saw that the same event comes to them all.”
“The 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.”
But when I turned myself toward all the works that my hands had made, and to the labors in which I had perspired to no purpose, I saw emptiness and affliction of the soul in all things, and that nothing is permanent under the sun.
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?”
And I saw that wisdom surpasses foolishness, so much so that they differ as much as light from darkness.
The eyes of a wise man are in his head. A foolish man walks in darkness. Yet I learned that one would pass away like the other.
And I said in my heart: “If the death of both the foolish and myself will be one, how does it benefit me, if I have given myself more thoroughly to the work of wisdom?” And as I was speaking within my own mind, I perceived that this, too, is emptiness.
For there will not be a remembrance in perpetuity of the wise, nor of the foolish. And the future times will cover everything together, with oblivion. The learned die in a manner similar to the unlearned.
And, because of this, my life wearied me, since I saw that everything under the sun is evil, and everything is empty and an affliction of the spirit.