King James Version

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.

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Hebrew

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וָאֶתְּנָ֤הvaetnahand giveנָתַןconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 1st person, common, singular, paragogic he — “and give”, the next action in the storyH5414to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] wi…לִבִּי֙libicomfortablyלֵבnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “comfortably”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3820the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything[phrase] care for, comfortably, consent, [idiom] considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart(-ed), [idiom] heed, [idiom] I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), [idiom] regard(-ed), [idiom]…לָדַ֣עַתladaatto knowיָדַעpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to know”, the to-form of the verbH3045to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-) awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, [idiom] could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with…חָכְמָ֔הchakhemahwisdomחׇכְמָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “wisdom”, the ordinary formH2451wisdom (in a good sense)skilful, wisdom, wisely, wit.וְדַ֥עַתvedaatand knowיָדַעconjunction, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “and know”, the to-form of the verbH3045to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-) awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, [idiom] could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with…הוֹלֵל֖וֹתholelotmadnessהוֹלֵלָהnoun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “madness”, the ordinary formH1947follymadness.וְשִׂכְל֑וּתvesikhlutand follyסִכְלוּתconjunction, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “and folly”, the ordinary formH5531sillinessfolly, foolishness.יָדַ֕עְתִּיyadatiknowיָדַעverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “know”, a completed actionH3045to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-) awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, [idiom] could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with…שֶׁגַּםshegamwho alsoגַּםparticle, relative, adverb — “who also”H1571properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...andagain, alike, also, (so much) as (soon), both (so)...and, but, either...or, even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover, nay...neither, one, then(-refore), though, what, with, yea.זֶ֥הzehthe one...the otherזֶהpronoun, demonstrative, masculine, singular — “the one...the other”H2088the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or thathe, [idiom] hence, [idiom] here, it(-self), [idiom] now, [idiom] of him, the one...the other, [idiom] than the other, ([idiom] out of) the (self) same, such (a one) that, these, this (hath, man), on this side...on that side, [idiom] thus,…ה֖וּאhuas for herהוּאpronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “as for her”H1931he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or arehe, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.רַעְי֥וֹןrayonvexationרַעְיוֹןnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “vexation”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7475desirevexation.רֽוּחַruchaangerרוּחַnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “anger”, the ordinary formH7307wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions)air, anger, blast, breath, [idiom] cool, courage, mind, [idiom] quarter, [idiom] side, spirit(-ual), tempest, [idiom] vain, (whirl-) wind(-y).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly — I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.

Young’s Literal Translation

And I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this [is] vexation of spirit;

World English Bible

I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.

Darby Translation

And I applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the wind.

Douay-Rheims

And I have given my heart to know prudence, and learning, and errors, and folly: and I have perceived that in these also there was labour, and vexation of spirit,

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly — I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And my heart knew much—wisdom, and knowledge, parables and understanding: I perceived that this also is waywardness of spirit.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ καρδία μου εἶδε πολλὰ, σοφίαν καὶ γνῶσιν, παραβολὰς καὶ ἐπιστήμην· ἔγνων ἐγώ ὅτι καί γε τοῦτό ἐστι προαίρεσις πνεύματος·