'Wisdom' in the Bible

I applied my mind to seek and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven. God has given people this miserable task to keep them occupied.

I said to myself, “Look, I have amassed wisdom far beyond all those who were over Jerusalem before me, and my mind has thoroughly grasped wisdom and knowledge.”

I applied my mind to know wisdom and knowledge, madness and folly; I learned that this too is a pursuit of the wind.

For with much wisdom is much sorrow;as knowledge increases, grief increases.

I explored with my mind how to let my body enjoy life with wine and how to grasp folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—until I could see what is good for people to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom also remained with me.

Then I turned to consider wisdom, madness, and folly, for what will the man be like who comes after the king? He will do what has already been done.

And I realized that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly, like the advantage of light over darkness.

When there is a man whose work was done with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great wrong.

For to the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and accumulating in order to give to the one who is pleasing in God’s sight. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

Wisdom is as good as an inheritanceand an advantage to those who see the sun,

because wisdom is protection as money is protection,and the advantage of knowledgeis that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.

Wisdom makes the wise man strongerthan ten rulers of a city.

I have tested all this by wisdom. I resolved, “I will be wise,” but it was beyond me.

I turned my thoughts to know, explore, and seek wisdom and an explanation for things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity and folly is madness.

Who is like the wise person, and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed.

When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the activity that is done on the earth (even though one’s eyes do not close in sleep day or night),

Whatever your hands find to do, do with all your strength, because there is no work, planning, knowledge, or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.

I have observed that this also is wisdom under the sun, and it is significant to me:

Now a poor wise man was found in the city, and he delivered the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man.

And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”

Wisdom is better than weapons of war,but one sinner can destroy much good.

Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil ferment and stink;so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen its edge,then one must exert more strength;however, the advantage of wisdom is that it brings success.