1The plans of the heart belong to man,
but the answer of the tongue is from Yahweh.
2All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes,
but Yahweh weighs the motives.
3Commit your deeds to Yahweh,
and your plans shall succeed.
4Yahweh has made everything for its own end—
yes, even the wicked for the day of evil.
5Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to Yahweh;
they shall certainly not be unpunished.
6By mercy and truth iniquity is atoned for.
By the fear of Yahweh men depart from evil.
7When a man’s ways please Yahweh,
he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8Better is a little with righteousness,
than great revenues with injustice.
9A man’s heart plans his course,
but Yahweh directs his steps.
10Inspired judgments are on the lips of the king.
He shall not betray his mouth.
11Honest balances and scales are Yahweh’s;
all the weights in the bag are his work.
12It is an abomination for kings to do wrong,
for the throne is established by righteousness.
13Righteous lips are the delight of kings.
They value one who speaks the truth.
14The king’s wrath is a messenger of death,
but a wise man will pacify it.
15In the light of the king’s face is life.
His favor is like a cloud of the spring rain.
16How much better it is to get wisdom than gold!
Yes, to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
17The highway of the upright is to depart from evil.
He who keeps his way preserves his soul.
18Pride goes before destruction,
and an arrogant spirit before a fall.
19It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor,
than to divide the plunder with the proud.
20He who heeds the Word finds prosperity.
Whoever trusts in Yahweh is blessed.
21The wise in heart shall be called prudent.
Pleasantness of the lips promotes instruction.
22Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it,
but the punishment of fools is their folly.
23The heart of the wise instructs his mouth,
and adds learning to his lips.
24Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
25There is a way which seems right to a man,
but in the end it leads to death.
26The appetite of the laboring man labors for him,
for his mouth urges him on.
27A worthless man devises mischief.
His speech is like a scorching fire.
28A perverse man stirs up strife.
A whisperer separates close friends.
29A man of violence entices his neighbor,
and leads him in a way that is not good.
30One who winks his eyes to plot perversities,
one who compresses his lips, is bent on evil.
31Gray hair is a crown of glory.
It is attained by a life of righteousness.
32One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty;
one who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.
33The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from Yahweh.
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.”