12 I, the (
J)Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I (
K)set my [
n]mind to seek and (
L)explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven.
It is [
o]a grievous (
M)task
which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with. 14 I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is [
p](
N)vanity and striving after wind. 15 What is (
O)crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I [
q]said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased (
P)wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my [
r]mind has observed [
s]a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I (
Q)set my [
t]mind to know wisdom and to (
R)know madness and folly; I realized that this also is (
S)striving after wind. 18 Because (
T)in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge
results in increasing pain.