1Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to produce an evil odor;
so does a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.
2A wise man’s heart is at his right hand,
but a fool’s heart at his left. 3Yes also when the fool walks by the way, his understanding fails him, and he says to everyone that he is a fool. 4If the spirit of the ruler rises up against you, don’t leave your place; for gentleness lays great offenses to rest.
5There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, the sort of error which proceeds from the ruler. 6Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place. 7I have seen servants on horses, and princes walking like servants on the earth. 8He who digs a pit may fall into it; and whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. 9Whoever carves out stones may be injured by them. Whoever splits wood may be endangered by it. 10If the ax is blunt, and one doesn’t sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but skill brings success.
11If the snake bites before it is charmed, then is there no profit for the charmer’s tongue. 12The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but a fool is swallowed by his own lips. 13The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. 14A fool also multiplies words.
Man doesn’t know what will be; and that which will be after him, who can tell him? 15The labor of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn’t know how to go to the city.
16Woe to you, land, when your king is a child,
and your princes eat in the morning!
17Happy are you, land, when your king is the son of nobles,
and your princes eat in due season,
for strength, and not for drunkenness!
18By slothfulness the roof sinks in;
and through idleness of the hands the house leaks.
19A feast is made for laughter,
and wine makes the life glad;
and money is the answer for all things.
20Don’t curse the king, no, not in your thoughts;
and don’t curse the rich in your bedroom,
for a bird of the sky may carry your voice,
and that which has wings may tell the matter.
The Book of Ecclesiastes is classified as part of the "wisdom literature" of the ancient Hebrews. This genre may be said to encompass all literary writings current in ancient Mesopotamia (as well as in the neighboring lands of the Near East, including Egypt) whose content is concerned, in one way or another, with life and nature, and with man's evaluation of them, based either on direct observation or insight. Helpful to a determination of the usage of the term "Wisdom Literature” is an understanding of the root hkm, which underlies the basic expression of "wisdom" in Hebrew and its cognate languages. The root hkm in Akkadian has the meaning of "clever, cunning" as well as "wise" when applied to kings, elders, scribes, diviners, and especially craftsmen and technicians. The notion of skillful "making" gave rise to various adjectives meaning "experienced, able." The force of the term "wisdom" in Akkadian, therefore, was upon a skill or experience that brought expertise or enablement in an endeavor. In Biblical Hebrew, this same basic nuance of "skill" is evident in all derivatives of hkm. For example, the term is used of the special ability of "artisans" in Exod 28:3; 31:1-11; 35:30, 35; 36:1-3, of the technical expertise of "stonemasons" in 1 Chr 22:15, of the trained ability of "goldsmiths" in Jer 10:9, of the experienced competence of "mariners" in Ps 107:27, of the craftsmanship of "ship builders" in Ezek 27:8-9, of the artistry of "artificers" in 1 Kings 7:14, and of the wizardry (unusual art) of magicians in Isa 3:3. It also is employed to denote the peculiar prowess enabling the heads of tribes, judges, and kings to perform either special or official tasks (cf. Deut 1:13,15; 16:19; 2 Sam 14:20). Of the 318 uses of the root hkm in the Tanach, 196 instances appear in Wisdom Literature (i.e. Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and some Psalms). In these contexts it bears an ethical/moral nuance, for just as in the secular realm it had been applied to technical skill, so here it is applied to the ability to cope with life in general. Scott in his study of the term in the Wisdom writings concluded: "thus “wisdom” (Hebrew hokmah) gained the sense of 'skill in living,' the trained ability to live in equilibrium with the moral order of the world." The Israelites viewed the world as an ordered system (under the control of G-d, cf. Job 1:21; 42:1-2; Prov 16:1-4; 21:1; Eccl 3:1-8; 5:18-19; 12:14), and the responsibility of wisdom was the instruction of men in the practical affairs of life in such a system. This wisdom is, however, neither simply utilitarian or amoral, but linked inseparably with the concepts of "righteousness" and “the fear of the LORD" (Prov 9:9-10). Therefore, for the Israelite, "wisdom" and the literature that develops a “skill in living life” is related to God's righteous order that has been established ultimately for man's good. As part of this genre, Ecclesiastes was designed as a means of training youth in the often unequal and contradictory experiences of life in this world while reminding them of the godly values and virtues that order the world (Eccl 3:11-12; 8:11-12). Understanding these “facts of life” (Eccl 8:17; 10:2; 11:5) and how to maintain “spiritual balance” throughout the tests of life (Eccl 11:9-10; 12:1, 6, 14) is the product of “wisdom.”