Ecclesiastes 2:14 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.

◄ Ecclesiastes 2:14 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
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.

English Standard Version
The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them.

New American Standard Bible
The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one fate befalls them both.

King James Bible
The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also knew that one fate comes to them both.

International Standard Version
The wise use their eyes, but the fool walks in darkness. I also perceived that the same outcome affects them all.

American Standard Version
The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness: and yet I perceived that one event happeneth to them all.

Douay-Rheims Bible
The eyes of a wise man are in his head: the fool walketh in darkness: and I learned that they were to die both alike.

Darby Bible Translation
The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness; but I myself also perceived that one event happeneth to them all.

Young's Literal Translation
The wise! -- his eyes are in his head, and the fool in darkness is walking, and I also knew that one event happeneth with them all;

Cross References

1 John 2:11
But he that hates his brother is in darkness, and walks in darkness, and knows not where he goes, because that darkness has blinded his eyes.

Psalm 49:10
For he sees that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.

Proverbs 17:24
Wisdom is before him that has understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.

Ecclesiastes 2:16
For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dies the wise man? as the fool.

Ecclesiastes 3:19
For that which befalls the sons of men befalls beasts; even one thing befalls them: as the one dies, so dies the other; yes, they have all one breath; so that a man has no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

Ecclesiastes 6:6
Yes, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet has he seen no good: do not all go to one place?

Ecclesiastes 7:2
It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.

Ecclesiastes 9:2
All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrifices, and to him that sacrifices not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that swears, as he that fears an oath.

Ecclesiastes 9:3
This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

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Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

2:12-17 Solomon found that knowledge and prudence were preferable to ignorance and folly, though human wisdom and knowledge will not make a man happy. The most learned of men, who dies a stranger to Christ Jesus, will perish equally with the most ignorant; and what good can commendations on earth do to the body in the grave, or the soul in hell? And the spirits of just men made perfect cannot want them. So that if this were all, we might be led to hate our life, as it is all vanity and vexation of spirit.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

13, 14. (Pr 17:24). The worldly "wise" man has good sense in managing his affairs, skill and taste in building and planting, and keeps within safe and respectable bounds in pleasure, while the "fool" is wanting in these respects ("darkness," equivalent to fatal error, blind infatuation), yet one event, death, happens to both (Job 21:26).