Ecclesiastes 7:21-25 New Living Translation (NLT)

21. Don’t eavesdrop on others—you may hear your servant curse you.

22. For you know how often you yourself have cursed others.

23. 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.

24. Wisdom is always distant and difficult to find.

25. I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things. I was determined to prove to myself that wickedness is stupid and that foolishness is madness.

Ecclesiastes 7