Section 2:12-2:17

People who are wise are not satisfied being wise

2:12a Then I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly;

Next I began to think about being wise and about being stupid and foolish.
-or-
Then I began to think again about being wise, and also about being foolish and doing crazy things. (New Century Version)

2:12b for what more can the king’s successor do

What more could anyone do who comes after the king?
-or-
The next king will not be able to do more

2:12c than what has already been accomplished?

He can only do what the king has already done/concluded.
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than what I have already done.

2:12a-c (combined)

I asked myself, “What can the next king do that I haven’t done?” Then I decided to compare wisdom with foolishness and stupidity. (Contemporary English Version)
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Then I decided to think about what it means to be wise or to be foolish or to do crazy things. And I thought about the one who will be the next king. The new king will do the same as the kings before him. (English Easy-to-Read Version)
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Then I decided to think about how a wise person lives. I wanted to think also about how a fool lives. I said to myself, ‘The next king will not do any more than I have done.’ (EASY2015)

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