nSee 1 Kgs. 7:1-12
Job 28:18
18No mention shall be made of acoral or of crystal;the price of wisdom is above b, cpearls.
Psalms 4:6-7
6 There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?dLift up ethe light of your face upon us, O Lord!”
7You have put fmore joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.
Psalms 39:6-7
6Surely a man ggoes about as a shadow!Surely for nothing ▼
▼Hebrew Surely as a breath
they are in turmoil;man iheaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!
7 “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?
jMy hope is in you.
Ecclesiastes 2:2-12
2I ksaid of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3I lsearched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on mfolly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4I made great works. I nbuilt houses and planted ovineyards for myself. 5I made myself pgardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7I bought male and female slaves, and had qslaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of rherds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8I also gathered for myself silver and sgold and the treasure of tkings and uprovinces. I got vsingers, both men and women, and many wconcubines, ▼▼The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
the delight of the sons of man. 9So I became great and ysurpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my zwisdom remained with me. 10And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart aafound pleasure in all my toil, and this was my abreward for all my toil. 11Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was acvanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing adto be gained under the sun.
The Vanity of Living Wisely
12 aeSo I turned to consider afwisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only agwhat has already been done.Ecclesiastes 12:8
8 ahVanity ▼▼The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (three times in this verse); see note on 1:2
of vanities, says ajthe Preacher; all is vanity. Ecclesiastes 12:13
13The end of the matter; all has been heard. akFear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. ▼▼Or the duty of all mankind
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