Verse 15

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!”

Referenced Verses

• Eccl 6:8 : 8 So what advantage does a wise man have over a fool? And what advantage does a pauper gain by knowing how to survive?
• 1 Kgs 3:12 : 12 I grant your request, and give you a wise and discerning mind superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you.
• Eccl 1:2 : 2 Introduction: Utter Futility“Futile! Futile!” laments the Teacher,“Absolutely futile! Everything is futile!”
• Eccl 1:14 : 14 I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man on earth, and I concluded: Everything he has accomplished is futile– like chasing the wind!
• Eccl 1:16 : 16 Futility of Secular Wisdom 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.”
• Eccl 1:18-2:1 : 18 For with great wisdom comes great frustration; whoever increases his knowledge merely increases his heartache. 1 Futility of Self-Indulgent Pleasure 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.
• Eccl 2:16 : 16 For the wise man, like the fool, will not be remembered for very long, because in the days to come, both will already have been forgotten. Alas, the wise man dies– just like the fool!