ECC 2:14 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for Bible-translators and others doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still early looks into the drafted texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) The wise person uses their eyes,
⇔ but the fool walks in the darkness,
⇔ and even I know that the same fate comes to both of them.

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Τοῦ σοφοῦ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ ἐν κεφαλῇ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὁ ἄφρων ἐν σκότει πορεύεται· καὶ ἔγνων καί γε ἐγὼ, ὅτι συνάντημα ἓν συναντήσεται τοῖς πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς.
(Tou sofou hoi ofthalmoi autou en kefalaʸ autou, kai ho afrōn en skotei poreuetai; kai egnōn kai ge egō, hoti sunantaʸma hen sunantaʸsetai tois pasin autois.)

BrTr 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.

ULT The wise, his eyes are in his head,
⇔ but the fool in the darkness is walking.
¶ But I know, even I, that one happening will happen to both of them.

UST It is like people say:
⇔ A wise person is able to live well and succeed,
⇔ just like someone who walks about in the daylight can see where they are going.
⇔ A foolish person, however, endangers themselves with their misinformed decisions,
⇔ just like someone who walks about in the dark of night cannot see where they are going.

BSB 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.

MSB (Same as BSB above)

OEB No OEB ECC book available

WEBBE 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.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET 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.

LSV 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;

FBV The wise see where they're going,[fn] but fools walk in darkness. But I also realized that they all come to the same end.

2:14 Literally, “The wise has his eyes in his head.”

T4T because wise people walk in the daylight and [IDM] can see where they are going,
⇔ but foolish people walk in the darkness and cannot see where they are going.”
⇔ But I also realized that both wise people and foolish people eventually die.

LEB _⌊The wise man can see where he is walking_⌋,[fn] but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also realized that both of them suffer the same fate.

2:14 Literally “The eyes of the wise are in his head”

BBE The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the foolish man goes walking in the dark; but still I saw that the same event comes to them all.

Moff for the wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the dark. But I also found that one fate falls to both.

JPS 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.

ASV 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.

DRA 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.

YLT 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;

Drby 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.

RV 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.

SLT The wise, his eyes in his head; and the foolish one goes in darkness: and I knew, I also, that one event will meet with them all.

Wbstr 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.

KJB-1769 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.

KJB-1611 The wise mans eyes are in his head, but the foole walketh in darknes: and I my selfe perceiued also that one euent happeneth to them all.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps For a wise man hath his eyes in his head, but the foole goeth in darknesse: I perceaued also that they both had one ende.
(For a wise man hath/has his eyes in his head, but the fool goeth/goes in darkness: I perceived also that they both had one end.)

Gnva For the wise mans eyes are in his head, but the foole walketh in darknes: yet I know also that the same condition falleth to them all.
(For the wise mans eyes are in his head, but the fool walketh in darkness: yet I know also that the same condition falleth to them all.)

Cvdl For a wyse man beareth his eyes aboute in his heade, but the foole goeth in the darknesse. I perceaued also that they both had one ende.
(For a wise man beareth/bears his eyes about in his head, but the fool goeth/goes in the darkness. I perceived also that they both had one end.)

Wycl The iyen of a wijs man ben in his heed, a fool goith in derknessis; and Y lernede, that o perisching was of euer either.
(The eyes of a wise man been in his heed, a fool goeth/goes in darkness; and I learned/learnt, that o perishing was of ever either.)

Luth daß dem Weisen seine Augen im Haupt stehen; aber die Narren in Finsternis gehen, und merkte doch, daß es einem gehet wie dem andern.
(that to_him ways/manners his eyes in_the head stand; but the fool(n) in darkness go, and noticed though/but, that it on goes as/like to_him change/modify.)

ClVg Sapientis oculi in capite ejus; stultus in tenebris ambulat: et didici quod unus utriusque esset interitus.
(Of_the_wise eyes in/into/on head his; stupid/foolish in/into/on darkness he_walks: and I_learnt that one of_both was destruction.)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

הֶֽ⁠חָכָם֙

the_wise,[person]

The word head here represents awareness and understanding. Solomon means that a wise person is perceptive and sees what is ahead. You may have a comparable expression in your language, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [A wise person can see what is ahead]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠הַ⁠כְּסִ֖יל בַּ⁠חֹ֣שֶׁךְ הוֹלֵ֑ךְ

and,the,fool in,darkness walks

Solomon is speaking of death as if it were an event that happens to a person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [but the fool lives as if he will not die]

Note 3 topic: writing-pronouns

וְ⁠יָדַ֣עְתִּי גַם־אָ֔נִי

and,I_knew also/even I

Solomon is speaking as if the futility and transience of his pursuit of wisdom were vapor, which disappears quickly and lacks substance. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [I also know]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / euphemism

שֶׁ⁠מִּקְרֶ֥ה אֶחָ֖ד יִקְרֶ֥ה כֻּלָּֽ⁠ם

(cmp),fate one(ms) befalls (Some words not found in UHB: the_wise,[person] eyes_of,his [are]_in,head_of,his and,the,fool in,darkness walks and,I_knew also/even I (cmp),fate one(ms) befalls DOM of_them_of,all )

Solomon is referring to death in a polite way by calling it the happening of the fool. He means that he will die just as the fool dies. If this expression does not have that meaning for your readers, you could use a comparable expression from your language that does have that meaning, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [that both of them will die]

Note 5 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast

Solomon is stating the pronoun I separately, even though the verb translated as know already includes this meaning. He is doing that to emphasize that he himself has recognized this difficult truth. If a speaker of your language would use an explicit pronoun for the same purpose, you may want to use that construction in your translation. If not, your language may have other ways of showing the meaning here. Alternate translation: [The wise, his eyes are in his head, but the fool in the darkness is walking. But I myself know that one happening will happen to both of them.]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

הֶֽ⁠חָכָם֙ עֵינָ֣י⁠ו בְּ⁠רֹאשׁ֔⁠וֹ

the_wise,[person] eyes_of,his [are]_in,head_of,his

Solomon is speaking of the fool as if he were literally walking in darkness, unable to see where he is going. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly.

Parallel ECC 2:14