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13 And I saw that wisdom has as much profit over folly as light has over darkness.

14 Wise people have eyes in their heads,
    but fools walk in darkness.

Yet I knew that the same lot befalls both.[a](A) 15 So I said in my heart, if the fool’s lot is to befall me also, why should I be wise? Where is the profit? And in my heart I decided that this too is vanity.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:14 Yet I knew…befalls both: the author quotes a traditional saying upholding the advantages of wisdom, but then qualifies it. Nothing, not even wisdom itself, can give someone absolute control over their destiny and therefore guarantee any advantage.

13 I saw that wisdom(A) is better than folly,(B)
    just as light is better than darkness.
14 The wise have eyes in their heads,
    while the fool walks in the darkness;
but I came to realize
    that the same fate overtakes them both.(C)

15 Then I said to myself,

“The fate of the fool will overtake me also.
    What then do I gain by being wise?”(D)
I said to myself,
    “This too is meaningless.”

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