Ecclesiastes 1:16-18 - The Spokesman Begins To Study Life

¹⁶ I spoke with my heart, saying, “Behold, I have acquired great [human] wisdom and experience, more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of [moral] wisdom and [scientific] knowledge.” ¹⁷ And I set my mind to know [practical] wisdom and to discern [the character of] madness and folly [in which men seem to find satisfaction]; I realized that this too is a futile grasping and chasing after the wind.

¹⁸ For in much [human] wisdom there is much displeasure and exasperation; increasing knowledge increases sorrow.