Ecclesiastes 2:14
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.

New Living Translation
For the wise can see where they are going, but fools walk in the dark.” Yet I saw that the wise and the foolish share the same fate.

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.

Berean Standard Bible
The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also came to realize that one fate overcomes 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.

New King James Version
The wise man’s eyes are in his head, But the fool walks in darkness. Yet I myself perceived That the same event happens to them all.

New American Standard Bible
The wise person’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one and the same fate happens to both of them.

NASB 1995
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.

NASB 1977
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.

Legacy Standard Bible
The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that the fate of one becomes the fate of all of them.

Amplified Bible
The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness; and yet I know that [in the end] one fate happens to them both.

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

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.

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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
A wise man’s eyes are in his head and a fool goes in darkness, and I have known that one event happens to them all

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness: and I perceived, even I, that one event shall happen to them all.

Contemporary English Version
Wisdom is like having two good eyes; foolishness leaves you in the dark. But wise or foolish, we all end up the same.

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.

English Revised 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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
A wise person uses the eyes in his head, but a fool walks in the dark. But I have also come to realize that the same destiny waits for both of them.

Good News Translation
The wise can see where they are going, and fools cannot." But I also know that the same fate is waiting for us all.

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

JPS Tanakh 1917
The wise man, his eyes are in his head; But the fool walketh in darkness. And I also perceived that one event happeneth to them all.

Literal Standard Version
The wise—his eyes [are] in his head, and the fool is walking in darkness, and I also knew that one event happens with them all;

Majority Standard Bible
The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also came to realize that one fate overcomes them both.

New American Bible
Wise people have eyes in their heads, but fools walk in darkness. Yet I knew that the same lot befalls both.

NET Bible
The wise man can see where he is going, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also realized that the same fate happens to them both.

New Revised Standard Version
The wise have eyes in their head, but fools walk in darkness. Yet I perceived that the same fate befalls all of them.

New Heart English Bible
The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness--and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness—and yet I perceived that one event happens 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;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Wise and the Foolish
13And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness: 14The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also came to realize that one fate overcomes them both. 15So I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will also befall me. What then have I gained by being wise?” And I said to myself that this too is futile.…

Cross References
1 John 2:11
But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness. He does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Psalm 49:10
For it is clear that wise men die, and the foolish and the senseless both perish and leave their wealth to others.

Proverbs 17:24
Wisdom is the focus of the discerning, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

Ecclesiastes 2:16
For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool!

Ecclesiastes 3:19
For the fates of both men and beasts are the same: As one dies, so dies the other--they all have the same breath. Man has no advantage over the animals, since everything is futile.

Ecclesiastes 6:6
even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?

Ecclesiastes 7:2
It is better to enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting, since death is the end of every man, and the living should take this to heart.


Treasury of Scripture

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

wise

Ecclesiastes 8:1
Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.

Ecclesiastes 10:2,3
A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left…

Proverbs 14:8
The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.

one

Ecclesiastes 9:1-3,11,16
For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them…

Psalm 19:10
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

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

Jump to Previous
Befalls Dark Darkness Event Eyes Fate Fool Goes Happeneth Happens Head Overtakes Perceived Realize Walketh Walking Walks Wise
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Befalls Dark Darkness Event Eyes Fate Fool Goes Happeneth Happens Head Overtakes Perceived Realize Walketh Walking Walks Wise
Ecclesiastes 2
1. the vanity of human courses is the work of pleasure
12. Though the wise be better than the fool, yet both have one event
18. The vanity of human labor, in leaving it they know not to whom
24. Nothing better than joy in our labor but that is God's gift














(14) Event.--Translated "hap," or "chance" (Ruth 2:13; 1Samuel 6:9; 1Samuel 20:26).

Verse 14. - The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh 'in darkness. This clause is closely connected with the preceding verse, showing how wisdom excelleth folly. The wise man has the eyes of his heart or understanding enlightened (Ephesians 1:18); he looks into the nature of things, fixes his regard on what is most important, sees where to go; while the fool's eyes are in the ends of the earth (Proverbs 17:24); he walks on still in darkness, stumbling as he goes, knowing not whither his road shall take him. And I myself also (I even I) perceived that one event happeneth to them all. "Event" (mikreh); συνάντημα (Septuagint); interitus (Vulgate); not chance, But death, the final event. The word is translated "hap" in Ruth 2:3, and "chance" in 1 Samuel 6:9; but the connection here points to a definite termination; nor would it be consistent with Koheleth's religion to refer this termination to fate or accident. With all his experience, he could only conclude that in one important aspect the observed superiority of wisdom to folly was illusory and vain. He saw with his own eyes, and needed no instructor to teach, that both wise and fool must succumb to death, the universal leveler. Horace, in many passages, sings of this: thus 'Carm.,' 2:3. 21 -

"Divesne prisco natus ab Inacho,
Nil interest, an pauper et infima
De gente sub dive moreris,
Victima nil miserantis Orci."
(Comp, ibid, 1:28. 15, etc.; 2:14. 9, etc.) Plato ('Phaedo,' 57. p. 108, A) refers to a passage in 'Telephus,' a lost play of 2 Eschylus, which is restored thus -

Ἁπλῆ γὰρ οϊμος πάντες εἰς Ἅιδου φέρει.

"A single path leads all unto the grave."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The wise
הֶֽחָכָם֙ (he·ḥā·ḵām)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2450: Wise

man has eyes
עֵינָ֣יו (‘ê·nāw)
Noun - cdc | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

in his head,
בְּרֹאשׁ֔וֹ (bə·rō·šōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7218: The head

but the fool
וְהַכְּסִ֖יל (wə·hak·kə·sîl)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3684: Stupid fellow, dullard, fool

walks
הוֹלֵ֑ךְ (hō·w·lêḵ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

in darkness.
בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ (ba·ḥō·šeḵ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2822: The dark, darkness, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness

Yet I
אָ֔נִי (’ā·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

also
גַם־ (ḡam-)
Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

came to realize
וְיָדַ֣עְתִּי (wə·yā·ḏa‘·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3045: To know

that one
אֶחָ֖ד (’e·ḥāḏ)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 259: United, one, first

fate
שֶׁמִּקְרֶ֥ה (šem·miq·reh)
Pronoun - relative | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4745: Something met with, an accident, fortune

overcomes
יִקְרֶ֥ה (yiq·reh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7136: To light upon, to bring about, to impose timbers

them both.
כֻּלָּֽם׃ (kul·lām)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every


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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 2:14 The wise man's eyes are in his (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
Ecclesiastes 2:13
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