'Wisdom' in the Bible

And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

I said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”

And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind.

Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.

Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.

So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly; for what will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done?

And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.

When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil.

For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

Do not say, “Why is it that the former days were better than these?”For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.

Wisdom along with an inheritance is goodAnd an advantage to those who see the sun.

For wisdom is protection just as money is protection,But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors.

Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.

I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me.

I directed my mind to know, to investigate and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the evil of folly and the foolishness of madness.

Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom illumines him and causes his stern face to beam.

When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the task which has been done on the earth (even though one should never sleep day or night),

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.

Also this I came to see as wisdom under the sun, and it impressed me.

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

So 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 destroys much good.

Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor.

If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success.