Ecclesiastes 7:11

For what does a man have of all his labor and of the striving of his heart, in which he labors under the sun?

What profit has he who works in that in which he labors?

This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labors for the wind?

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Then your servant said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king bring rest; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad. May Yahweh, your God, be with you.’ ”

Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and behold, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

Wealth and riches are in his house. His righteousness endures forever.

Truly the light is sweet, and it is a pleasant thing for the eyes to see the sun.

But solid food is for those who are full grown, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.

Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

All the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

May Yahweh give you discretion and understanding, and put you in charge of Israel; that so you may keep the law of Yahweh your God.

Give me understanding, and I will keep your law. Yes, I will obey it with my whole heart.

Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments.

How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! Yes, to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

by knowledge the rooms are filled with all rare and beautiful treasure.

I can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous; because I don’t seek my own will, but the will of my Father who sent me.

Don’t work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has sealed him.”

Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of yours?”

“But where will wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over.

The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of pieces of gold and silver.

Therefore I love your commandments more than gold, yes, more than pure gold.

Your testimonies are righteous forever. Give me understanding, that I may live.

For Yahweh gives wisdom. Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

Receive my instruction rather than silver, knowledge rather than choice gold.

My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, my yield than choice silver.

Yahweh’s blessing brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.

In the house of the righteous is much treasure, but the income of the wicked brings trouble.

He who loves pleasure will be a poor man. He who loves wine and oil won’t be rich.

There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man swallows it up.

Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God.

His delight will be in the fear of Yahweh. He will not judge by the sight of his eyes, neither decide by the hearing of his ears;

Moreover he said to me, “Son of man, receive in your heart and hear with your ears all my words that I speak to you.

Then this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the local governors, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.

that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.

But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God,

For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,

Therefore don’t be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

God saw the light, and saw that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness.

You will eat bread by the sweat of your face until you return to the ground, for you were taken out of it. For you are dust, and you shall return to dust.”

Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. The children of Israel listened to him, and did as Yahweh commanded Moses.

Give your servant therefore an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this great people of yours?”

God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have you asked for riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice;

All Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king; for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do justice.

When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly, and said, “Blessed is Yahweh today, who has given to David a wise son to rule over this great people.”

He made the porch of the throne where he was to judge, even the porch of judgment; and it was covered with cedar from floor to floor.

When they had gone over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be on me.”

Yahweh struck the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death, and lived in a separate house. Jotham, the king’s son was over the household, judging the people of the land.

In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. Yahweh your God said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over my people Israel.’ ”

So, many people gathered together and they stopped all the springs and the brook that flowed through the middle of the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find abundant water?”

He has swallowed down riches, and he will vomit them up again. God will cast them out of his belly.

He will restore that for which he labored, and will not swallow it down. He will not rejoice according to the substance that he has gotten.

He has redeemed my soul from going into the pit. My life will see the light.’

to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of the living.

For Yahweh God is a sun and a shield. Yahweh will give grace and glory. He withholds no good thing from those who walk blamelessly.

Your hands have made me and formed me. Give me understanding, that I may learn your commandments.

I rejoice at your word, as one who finds great plunder.

Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.

By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.

The tongue of the righteous is like choice silver. The heart of the wicked is of little worth.

The house of the wicked will be overthrown, but the tent of the upright will flourish.

The light of the eyes rejoices the heart. Good news gives health to the bones.

The heart of the discerning gets knowledge. The ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way, he will fall into his own trap; but the blameless will inherit good.

Whoever loves wisdom brings joy to his father; but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: Yahweh gives sight to the eyes of both.

What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?

Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.

I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.

Moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it. This has rest rather than the other.

If the ax is blunt, and one doesn’t sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but skill brings success.

A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes the life glad; and money is the answer for all things.

Why do you spend money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which doesn’t satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in richness.

Then I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! Behold, I don’t know how to speak; for I am a child.”

But they didn’t listen. They didn’t turn their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, and might not receive instruction.

“Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “Will you not receive instruction to listen to my words?” says Yahweh.

But ten men were found among those who said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us; for we have stores hidden in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey.” So he stopped, and didn’t kill them among their brothers.

He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us, and against our judges who judged us, by bringing on us a great evil; for under the whole sky, such has not been done as has been done to Jerusalem.

The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’

The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.

Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living.

When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need.

He also said to his disciples, “There was a certain rich man who had a manager. An accusation was made to him that this man was wasting his possessions.

for the words which you have given me I have given to them, and they received them, and knew for sure that I came from you. They have believed that you sent me.

Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or stubble,

I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all kinds of workmanship,