Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 - Qohelet Introduces His Quest
12 I, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that hath been done under the heavens. It is a sad travail God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it. 14 I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole is vanity and vexation of spirit!
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;
18 for, in abundance of wisdom is abundance of sadness, and he who addeth knowledge addeth pain.'