King James Version

Ecclesiastes 2:14

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.

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Hebrew

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הֶֽחָכָם֙hechakhamthe wise , manחָכָםdefinite article, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “the wise , man”, the ordinary formH2450wise, (i.e. intelligent, skilful or artful)cunning (man), subtil, (un-), wise((hearted), man).עֵינָ֣יוeynayveye , , -sightעַיִןnoun, common, both genders, dual, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “eye , , -sight”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5869an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)affliction, outward appearance, [phrase] before, [phrase] think best, colour, conceit, [phrase] be content, countenance, [phrase] displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, [phrase] favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), [idiom] him…בְּרֹאשׁ֔וֹberoshvoin headרֹאשׁpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “in head”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7218the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.)band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, [idiom] every (man), excellent, first, forefront, (be-)head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), [idiom] lead, [idiom] poor, principal, ruler, sum, top.וְהַכְּסִ֖ילvehaksiland the foolכְּסִילconjunction, definite article, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “and the fool”, the ordinary formH3684properly, fat, i.e. (figuratively) stupid or sillyfool(-ish).בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְbachoshekhin darkחֹשֶׁךְpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in dark”, the ordinary formH2822the dark; hence (literally) darkness; figuratively, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickednessdark(-ness), night, obscurity.הוֹלֵ֑ךְholekhewalkהָלַךְverb, qal, participle, absolute — “walk”, a verb used as a describing wordH1980to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)(all) along, apace, behave (self), come, (on) continually, be conversant, depart, [phrase] be eased, enter, exercise (self), [phrase] follow, forth, forward, get, go (about, abroad, along, away, forward, on, out, up and down), [phrase] gre…וְיָדַ֣עְתִּיveyadatiand knowיָדַעconjunction, verb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “and 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…גַםgamalsoגַּםadverb — “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.אָ֔נִיanimineאֲנִיpronoun, personal, 1st person, common, singular — “mine”H589II, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, [idiom] which, [idiom] who.שֶׁמִּקְרֶ֥הshemiqrehwho something befallenמִקְרֶהparticle, relative, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “who something befallen”, the ordinary formH4745something met with, i.e. an accident or fortunesomething befallen, befalleth, chance, event, hap(-peneth).אֶחָ֖דechadfirstאֶחָדadjective, cardinal, masculine, singular, absolute — “first”, the ordinary formH259properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) firsta, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), [phrase] eleven, every, few, first, [phrase] highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,יִקְרֶ֥הyiqrehfloorקָרָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “floor”, an unfinished actionH7136to light upon (chiefly by accident); causatively, to bring about; specifically, to impose timbers (for roof or floor)appoint, lay (make) beams, befall, bring, come (to pass unto), floor, (hap) was, happen (unto), meet, send good speed.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).כֻּלָּֽםkulamallכֹּלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

The wise man, his eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness. And I also perceived that one event happeneth to them all.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Young’s Literal Translation

The wise! — his eyes [are] in his head, and the fool in darkness is walking, and I also knew that one event happeneth with them all;

World English Bible

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.

Darby Translation

The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness; but I myself also perceived that one event happeneth to them all.

Douay-Rheims

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.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

The wise man, his eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness. And I also perceived that one event happeneth to them all.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness: and I perceived, even I, that one event shall happen to them all.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Τοῦ σοφοῦ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ ἐν κεφαλῇ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὁ ἄφρων ἐν σκότει πορεύεται· καὶ ἔγνων καί γε ἐγὼ, ὅτι συνάντημα ἓν συναντήσεται τοῖς πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς.