Ecclesiastes 1:15-17 in English

¹⁵ That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

¹⁶ I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

¹⁷ And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.

¹⁵ That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and deficiency cannot be numbered.

¹⁶ I spoke in my heart, saying, Behold, I am increased, and have acquired wisdom beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem: also I applied my heart to know wisdom and knowledge.

¹⁷ And my heart knew much—wisdom, and knowledge, parables and understanding: I perceived that this also is waywardness of spirit.

¹⁵ That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

¹⁶ I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

¹⁷ And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

¹⁵ That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

¹⁶ I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

¹⁷ And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

¹⁵ That which is crooked can’t be made straight: and deficiency can’t be numbered.

¹⁶ I spoke in my heart, saying, Behold, I am increased, and have acquired wisdom beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem: also I applied my heart to know wisdom and knowledge.

¹⁷ And my heart knew much—wisdom, and knowledge, parables and understanding: I perceived that this also is waywardness of spirit.

¹⁵ That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

¹⁶ I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

¹⁷ And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.

¹⁵ Many things that are crooked cannot be caused to become straight; we cannot count things that do not exist.

¹⁶ I said to myself, “ Hey, I am wiser than any of the kings that ruled in Jerusalem before I became the king. I am wiser and I know more than any of them!”

¹⁷ So I determined to learn more about being wise and to learn about knowing about many things, and also to learn about doing things that are very foolish DOU. But I found out that trying to understand those things was also useless, like chasing the wind.

¹⁵ That which is crooked can’t be made straight: and deficiency can’t be numbered.

¹⁶ I spoke in my heart, saying, Behold, I am increased, and have acquired wisdom beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem: also I applied my heart to know wisdom and knowledge.

¹⁷ And my heart knew much—wisdom, and knowledge, parables and understanding: I perceived that this also is waywardness of spirit.

¹⁵ That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.

¹⁶ I said to myself, “Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”

¹⁷ I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.

¹⁵ That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.

¹⁶ I said to myself, “Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”

¹⁷ I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.

¹⁵ That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.

¹⁶ I said to myself, “Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”

¹⁷ I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.

¹⁵ That which is bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not be numbered.

¹⁶ I said to my heart, See, I have become great and am increased in wisdom more than any who were before me in Jerusalem — yes, my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.

¹⁷ And I gave my heart to getting knowledge of wisdom, and of the ways of the foolish. And I saw that this again was desire for wind.

¹⁵ That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

¹⁶ I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much of wisdom and knowledge.

¹⁷ 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.

¹⁵ The perverse are hard to be corrected, and the number of fools is infinite.

¹⁶ I have spoken in my heart, saying: Behold I am become great, and have gone beyond all in wisdom, that were before me in Jerusalem: and my mind hath contemplated many things wisely, and I have learned.

¹⁷ 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,

¹⁵ You can't straighten what is twisted, and you can't count what isn't there.

¹⁶ I thought to myself, “I've become very wise, wiser than all the kings of Jerusalem before me. My mind has gained a great deal of wisdom and knowledge.”

¹⁷ So I decided to use my mind to learn everything about wisdom, and madness and foolishness as well. But I found out that this is as hard as trying to catch hold of the wind.

¹⁵ That which is crooked, can none make straight: and that which faileth, cannot be nombred.

¹⁶ I thought in mine heart, and said, Behold, I am become great, and excell in wisdome all them that haue bene before me in Ierusalem: and mine heart hath seene much wisedome and knowledge.

¹⁷ And I gaue mine heart to knowe wisdome and knowledge, madnes and foolishnes: I knew also that this is a vexation of the spirit.

¹⁵ That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

¹⁶ I spoke with my own heart, saying: 'Lo, I have gotten great wisdom, more also than all that were before me over Jerusalem'; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

¹⁷ And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly — I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.

¹⁵ That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

¹⁶ I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

¹⁷ And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

¹⁵ What is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is defective cannot be numbered.

¹⁶ I spoke with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have truly obtained greater and more wisdom than all those who have been before me over Jerusalem: yea, my heart had seen much wisdom and knowledge.

¹⁷ And I directed my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly; but I have perceived that this also is a torture of the spirit.

¹⁵ That which is crooked cannot be made straight: And deficiency cannot be numbered.

¹⁶ I spoke in my heart, saying, Behold, I am increased, And have acquired wisdom beyond all Who were before me in Jerusalem: Also I applied my heart to know wisdom and knowledge.

¹⁷ And my heart knew much—wisdom, and knowledge, Parables and understanding: I perceived that this also is waywardness of spirit.

¹⁵ That which is crooked cannot be made straight, and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

¹⁶ I communed with my heart, saying, “Behold, I have gained more and greater wisdom than all who have been before me at Jerusalem; yea, my mind hath seen much wisdom and knowledge.”

¹⁷ And I gave my mind to know wisdom, and to know senselessness and folly; I perceived that this also is striving after wind.

¹⁵ The twisted cannot be straightened! The missing cannot be counted!

¹⁶ I have spoken to my heart saying, “Look, I have acquired greater wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My mind has seen great wisdom and knowledge.”

¹⁷ So I applied my heart to know wisdom and also madness and folly. I came to understand that this also was an attempt to shepherd the wind.

¹⁵ That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.

¹⁶ I said to myself, “Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”

¹⁷ I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.

¹⁵ That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.

¹⁶ I said to myself, “Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”

¹⁷ I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.

¹⁵ That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

¹⁶ I communed with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have come to great estate, and have gained more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: and my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

¹⁷ And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

¹⁵ That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.

¹⁶ I said to myself, “Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”

¹⁷ I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.

¹⁵ That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.

¹⁶ I said to myself, “Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”

¹⁷ I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.

¹⁵ Wayward men be amended of hard; and the number of fools is great without end.

¹⁶ I spake in mine heart, and I said, Lo! I am made great, and I passed in wisdom all men, that were before me in Jerusalem; and my soul saw many things wisely, and I learned.

¹⁷ And I gave mine heart, that I should know prudence and doctrine, and errors and folly. And I knew that in these things also was travail and torment of spirit;

¹⁵ Wayward men be amended of hard; and the number of fools is great without end. (The wayward can only be corrected with great difficulty; and the number of fools cannot be counted.)

¹⁶ I spake in mine heart, and I said, Lo! I am made great, and I passed in wisdom all men, that were before me in Jerusalem; and my soul saw many things wisely, and I learned. (I said in my heart, Behold! I am made great, and I have surpassed in wisdom all who were before me in Jerusalem; I have seen many things, and I have become wise, yea, I have learned much.)

¹⁷ And I gave mine heart, that I should know prudence and doctrine, and errors and folly. And I knew that in these things also was travail and torment of spirit; (And I gave my heart, or I applied my mind, so that I would understand wisdom and doctrine, and errors and foolishness. And I learned that all these things were also empty and futile, like chasing the wind;)

¹⁵ A crooked thing one is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.

¹⁶ I — I spake with my heart, saying, 'I, lo, I have magnified and added wisdom above every one who hath been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart hath seen abundantly wisdom and knowledge.

¹⁷ And I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this is vexation of spirit;