¹² I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly: for what can the king's successor do? Just that which has been done long ago.

¹⁷ I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.

²⁵ I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.

⁹ That which has been is that which shall be; and that which has been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

¹⁰ Is there a thing of which it may be said, "Behold, this is new?" It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us.