Translations
F.O.G.MPrimary
F.O.G MessageFor in much wisdom is much sorrow, and whoever increases in knowledge increases in grief.
F.O.GSecondary
The F.O.GFor in much wisdom is much grief, and whoever adds to knowledge adds to pain.
KJV
King James VersionFor in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
BSB
Berean Standard BibleFor with much wisdom comes much sorrow, and as knowledge grows, grief increases.
Footnotes
Ka'as (כָּעַס) spans vexation, frustration, grief, and bitter anguish—the distress of seeing clearly what cannot be fixed. Makh'ov (מַכְאוֹב) is physical and emotional pain, the very word used in Isaiah 53:3 of the Suffering Servant, "a man of sorrows" (ish makh'ovot), giving this closing verse a faint but resonant messianic undertone. Qohelet's final couplet is a proverb-like paradox: the very tool used to investigate life—wisdom—turns out to be its own source of suffering. The F.O.G distinguishes the two terms as "grief" and "pain"; the F.O.G Message uses "sorrow" and "grief," keeping the emotional register elevated and giving the chapter a liturgically resonant close.
