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Ecclesiastes 7:23
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KJ21
All this have I tested by wisdom: I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me.
ASV
All this have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
AMP
I have tested all this with wisdom. I said, “I will be wise [independently of God],” but true wisdom was far from me.
AMPC
All this have I tried and proved by wisdom. I said, I will be wise [independently of God]—but it was far from me.
BRG
¶ All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
CSB
I have tested all this by wisdom. I resolved, “I will be wise,” but it was beyond me.
CSBA
I have tested all this by wisdom. I resolved, ‘I will be wise,’ but it was beyond me.
CEB
I tested all of this by wisdom. I thought, I will be wise, but it eluded me.
CJB
All this I have put to the test of wisdom; I said, “I will acquire wisdom”; but wisdom remained far away from me.
CEV
I told myself that I would be smart and try to understand all this, but it was too much for me.
DARBY
All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
DRA
For thy conscience knoweth that thou also hast often spoken evil of others.
ERV
I used my wisdom and thought about all these things. I wanted to be wise, but I couldn’t do it.
EASY
I have used wisdom to study all these things. I tried very much to understand everything that happens. But I could not do it.
EHV
All this I tested with wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was out of reach for me.
ESV
All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me.
ESVUK
All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise”, but it was far from me.
EXB
I ·used wisdom to test [L tested with/or by wisdom] all these things. I said, “I ·want to [or will] be wise,” but it was ·too hard for [L far from] me.
GNV
Give not thine heart also to all the words that men speak, lest thou do hear thy servant cursing thee.
GW
I used wisdom to test all of this. I said, “I want to be wise, but it is out of my reach.”
GNT
I used my wisdom to test all of this. I was determined to be wise, but it was beyond me.
HCSB
I have tested all this by wisdom. I resolved, “I will be wise,” but it was beyond me.
ICB
I used wisdom to test all these things. I wanted to be wise, but it was too hard for me.
ISV
I used my wisdom to test all of this. I said, “I want to be wise,” but it was beyond me.
JUB
¶ All this I have proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me.
KJV
All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
AKJV
All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
LSB
I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me.
LEB
All this I have tested with wisdom. I said, “I will be wise!” but it was beyond my grasp.
TLB
I have tried my best to be wise. I declared, “I will be wise,” but it didn’t work.
MSG
I tested everything in my search for wisdom. I set out to be wise, but it was beyond me, far beyond me, and deep—oh so deep! Does anyone ever find it? I concentrated with all my might, studying and exploring and seeking wisdom—the meaning of life. I also wanted to identify evil and stupidity, foolishness and craziness.
MEV
All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me.
NOG
I used wisdom to test all of this. I said, “I want to be wise, but it is out of my reach.”
NABRE
All these things I probed in wisdom. I said, “I will acquire wisdom”; but it was far beyond me.
NASB
I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, “I will be wise,” but wisdom was far from me.
NASB1995
I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me.
NCB
All this I have put to the test of wisdom: I said, “I am determined to be wise,” but such wisdom was beyond my reach.
NCV
I used wisdom to test all these things. I wanted to be wise, but it was too hard for me.
NET
I have examined all this by wisdom; I said, “I am determined to comprehend this”—but it was beyond my grasp.
NIRV
I used wisdom to test all these things. I said, “I’ve made up my mind to be wise.” But it was more than I could accomplish.
NIV
All this I tested by wisdom and I said, “I am determined to be wise”— but this was beyond me.
NIVUK
All this I tested by wisdom and I said, ‘I am determined to be wise’– but this was beyond me.
NKJV
All this I have proved by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise”; But it was far from me.
NLV
I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me.
NLT
I have always tried my best to let wisdom guide my thoughts and actions. I said to myself, “I am determined to be wise.” But it didn’t work.
NRSVA
All this I have tested by wisdom; I said, ‘I will be wise’, but it was far from me.
NRSVACE
All this I have tested by wisdom; I said, ‘I will be wise’, but it was far from me.
NRSVCE
All this I have tested by wisdom; I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me.
NRSVUE
All this I have tested by wisdom; I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me.
OJB
I tested all this with chochmah; I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
RGT
Also, do not give your heart to all the words that men speak, lest you hear your servant cursing you.
RSV
All this I have tested by wisdom; I said, “I will be wise”; but it was far from me.
RSVCE
All this I have tested by wisdom; I said, “I will be wise”; but it was far from me.
TLV
All this I have tested with wisdom and I said, “I determined to be wise”—but it was far from me.
VOICE
I have tested all of these sayings against wisdom. I promised myself, “I will become wise,” but wisdom kept its distance.
WEB
All this I have proved in wisdom. I said, “I will be wise;” but it was far from me.
WYC
I assayed all things in wisdom; I said, I shall be made wise, and it went away further from me (I said, I shall be made wise, but it went farther away from me),
YLT
All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, `I am wise,' and it [is] far from me.
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21st Century King James Version (KJ21) Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.; American Standard Version (ASV) Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?); Amplified Bible (AMP) Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.; Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation; BRG Bible (BRG) Blue Red and Gold Letter Edition™ Copyright © 2012 BRG Bible Ministries. Used by Permission. All rights reserved. BRG Bible is a Registered Trademark in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office #4145648; Christian Standard Bible (CSB) The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved. ; Christian Standard Bible Anglicised (CSBA) Copyright © 2024 by Holman Bible Publishers.; Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible; Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved. ; Contemporary English Version (CEV) Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.; Darby Translation (DARBY) Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?); Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA) Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?); Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International; EasyEnglish Bible (EASY) EasyEnglish Bible Copyright © MissionAssist 2019 - Charitable Incorporated Organisation 1162807. Used by permission. All rights reserved.; Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV) The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.; English Standard Version (ESV) The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.; English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.; Expanded Bible (EXB) The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved. ; 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts. ; GOD’S WORD Translation (GW) Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God’s Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.; Good News Translation (GNT) Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.; Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.; International Children’s Bible (ICB) The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.; International Standard Version (ISV) Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.; Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB) Copyright © 2013, 2020 by Ransom Press International ; King James Version (KJV) Public Domain; Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV) KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.; Legacy Standard Bible (LSB) Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.; Lexham English Bible (LEB) 2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software; Living Bible (TLB) The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.; The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson; Modern English Version (MEV) The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. ; Names of God Bible (NOG) The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group. ; New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE) Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner. ; New American Standard Bible (NASB) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.; New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.; New Catholic Bible (NCB) Copyright © 2019 by Catholic Book Publishing Corp. All rights reserved.; New Century Version (NCV) The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.; New English Translation (NET) NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.; New International Reader's Version (NIRV) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.; New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.; New International Version - UK (NIVUK) Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.; New King James Version (NKJV) Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.; New Life Version (NLV) Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.; New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.; New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.; New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition (NRSVACE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.; New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.; New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE) New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.; Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB) Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International; Revised Geneva Translation (RGT) © 2019, 2024 by Five Talents Audio. All rights reserved.; Revised Standard Version (RSV) Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.; Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.; Tree of Life Version (TLV) Copyright © 2014 by the Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society (DBA: Tree of Life Bible Society). Used by permission. All rights reserved. For more information about the TLV Bible, visit www.tlvbiblesociety.org.; The Voice (VOICE) The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. ; World English Bible (WEB) by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.; Wycliffe Bible (WYC) 2001 by Terence P. Noble; Young's Literal Translation (YLT) by Public Domain
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