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Read the Bible

Good News Translation

Ecclesiastes 7:23

I used my wisdom to test all of this. I was determined to be wise, but it was beyond me.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ignorance;   Wisdom;  

Encyclopedias:

- The Jewish Encyclopedia - Holy Spirit;   Solomon;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for August 31;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I have tested all this by wisdom. I resolved, “I will be wise,” but it was beyond me.
Hebrew Names Version
All this have I proved in wisdom. I said, "I will be wise;" but it was far from me.
King James Version
All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
English Standard Version
All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, "I will be wise," but it was far from me.
New American Standard Bible
I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, "I will be wise," but wisdom was far from me.
New Century Version
I used wisdom to test all these things. I wanted to be wise, but it was too hard for me.
Amplified Bible
I have tested all this with wisdom. I said, "I will be wise [independently of God]," but true wisdom was far from me.
World English Bible
All this have I proved in wisdom. I said, "I will be wise;" but it was far from me.
Geneva Bible (1587)
All this haue I prooued by wisedome: I thought I will be wise, but it went farre from me.
Legacy Standard Bible
I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, "I will be wise," but it was far from me.
Berean Standard Bible
All this I tested by wisdom, saying, "I resolve to be wise." But it was beyond me.
Contemporary English Version
I told myself that I would be smart and try to understand all of this, but it was too much for me.
Complete Jewish Bible
All this I have put to the test of wisdom; I said, "I will acquire wisdom"; but wisdom remained far away from me.
Darby Translation
All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
Easy-to-Read Version
I used my wisdom and thought about all these things. I wanted to be wise, but I couldn't do it.
George Lamsa Translation
I have tried all these things by wisdom; I said, I will be wise; but wisdom was far from me.
Lexham English Bible
All this I have tested with wisdom. I said, "I will be wise!" but it was beyond my grasp.
Literal Translation
All this I have tested by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
All these thinges haue I proued because of wy?dome: for I thought to be wyse, but she wente farther fro me
American Standard Version
All this have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
Bible in Basic English
All this I have put to the test by wisdom; I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
All this have I tried by wisdom; I said: 'I will get wisdom'; but it was far from me.
King James Version (1611)
All this haue I prooued by wisedome: I said, I will be wise, but it was farre from me.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
All these thinges haue I proued in wysdome, for I thought to be wyse, but she went farther fro me then she was before:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For many times he shall trespass against thee, and repeatedly shall he afflict thine heart; for thus also hast thou cursed others.
English Revised Version
All this have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
I asayede alle thingis in wisdom; Y seide, I schal be maad wijs, and it yede awei ferthere fro me, myche more than it was;
Update Bible Version
All this I have proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
Webster's Bible Translation
All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it [was] far from me.
New English Translation
I have examined all this by wisdom; I said, "I am determined to comprehend this"—but it was beyond my grasp.
New King James Version
All this I have proved by wisdom. I said, "I will be wise"; But it was far from me.
New Living Translation
I have always tried my best to let wisdom guide my thoughts and actions. I said to myself, "I am determined to be wise." But it didn't work.
New Life Bible
I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, "I will be wise," but it was far from me.
New Revised Standard
All this I have tested by wisdom; I said, "I will be wise," but it was far from me.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
All this, have I proved by wisdom, - I said, I will be wise, but, that, was far from me.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(7-24) I have tried all things in wisdom. I have said: I will be wise: and it departed farther from me,
Revised Standard Version
All this I have tested by wisdom; I said, "I will be wise"; but it was far from me.
Young's Literal Translation
All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, `I am wise,' and it [is] far from me.
THE MESSAGE
I tested everything in my search for wisdom. I set out to be wise, but it was beyond me, far beyond me, and deep—oh so deep! Does anyone ever find it? I concentrated with all my might, studying and exploring and seeking wisdom—the meaning of life. I also wanted to identify evil and stupidity, foolishness and craziness.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, "I will be wise," but it was far from me.

Contextual Overview

23 I used my wisdom to test all of this. I was determined to be wise, but it was beyond me. 24 How can anyone discover what life means? It is too deep for us, too hard to understand. 25 But I devoted myself to knowledge and study; I was determined to find wisdom and the answers to my questions, and to learn how wicked and foolish stupidity is. 26 I found something more bitter than death—the woman who is like a trap. The love she offers you will catch you like a net, and her arms around you will hold you like a chain. A man who pleases God can get away, but she will catch the sinner. 27 Yes, said the Philosopher, I found this out little by little while I was looking for answers. 28 I have looked for other answers but have found none. I found one man in a thousand that I could respect, but not one woman. 29 This is all that I have learned: God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I said: Genesis 3:5, 1 Kings 3:11, 1 Kings 3:12, 1 Kings 11:1-8, Romans 1:22, 1 Corinthians 1:20

Reciprocal: Job 28:12 - General Job 28:20 - General Ecclesiastes 1:17 - I gave Ecclesiastes 7:28 - yet Ecclesiastes 8:17 - that a man

Cross-References

Genesis 7:1
The Lord said to Noah, "Go into the boat with your whole family; I have found that you are the only one in all the world who does what is right.
Genesis 7:8
A male and a female of every kind of animal and bird, whether ritually clean or unclean,
Genesis 7:9
went into the boat with Noah, as God had commanded.
Genesis 7:10
Seven days later the flood came.
Genesis 7:14
With them went every kind of animal, domestic and wild, large and small, and every kind of bird.
Genesis 7:15
A male and a female of each kind of living being went into the boat with Noah,
Genesis 7:17
The flood continued for forty days, and the water became deep enough for the boat to float.
Genesis 7:18
The water became deeper, and the boat drifted on the surface.
Genesis 7:20
it went on rising until it was about twenty-five feet above the tops of the mountains.
Genesis 7:21
Every living being on the earth died—every bird, every animal, and every person.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

All this have I proved by wisdom,.... Referring either to all that he had been discoursing of hitherto in this book, concerning the vanity of natural wisdom and knowledge, of pleasure, power, and riches; or to the several useful instructions given in this chapter, particularly concerning patiently bearing everything from the hands of God or men, Ecclesiastes 7:8. This, by the help and use of that wisdom which God had given him, he had made trial of, and found it to be right, and therefore recommended it to others; though he acknowledges that, with all his wisdom, he was from perfection;

I said, I will be wise; but it [was] far from me; he determined, if possible, to attain to the perfection of wisdom, and made use of all means to come at it; that he might know all the works of God in creation, the nature, use, and excellency of them; in providence, his different dispensations towards the sons of men, and the causes of them; and in grace, the redemption and salvation of men, and the mysteries thereof; but the more he knew, the more he was convinced of his own ignorance, and seemed further off from the summit of knowledge than he was before; and plainly saw, that perfection in wisdom is not attainable in this life. The Targum restrains this to the wisdom of the law; but it is better to understand it in a more general sense.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I will be - Or, I am. There was a time when Solomon thought himself wise enough to comprehend the work of God, and therefore needed for himself the self-humbling conviction declared in this verse.

It - i. e. Wisdom. Compare Ecclesiastes 8:17.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 23. All this have I proved by wisdom — These rules I have laid down for my own conduct, and sought after more wisdom; but have fallen far short of what I wished to be.


 
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